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No, it is not. NO orbits of natural satellites are perfect circles. (And when NASA manages to achieve a perfectly circular orbit for an artificial satellite, it doesn't stay that way for very long!)

All orbits are ellipses. The Earth's orbit is pretty close to circular; it's only about a 3% eccentricity. On January 4th (or thereabouts) when Earth is closest to the Sun, it's about 91 million miles away; on July 2nd (or about) when the Earth is most distant, it's a little over 94 million miles.

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11y ago
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5mo ago

Pluto's orbit is quite eccentric, meaning it is more elongated than a circular orbit. This results in Pluto's distance from the Sun varying significantly throughout its orbit, being closer to the Sun at some points and much farther away at others.

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12y ago

The orbit of the Earth is approximately an ellipse, which itself is precessing around the center of gravity of the Earth-Sun system.

Additionally, there are no perfectly circular orbits, as a satellite in a perfectly circular orbit has to have and maintain an exact velocity precisely between being slow and spiralling inwards and being too fast forming an elliptical orbit. Such an exact circumstance is physically improbable.

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12y ago

No natural gravitational orbit is perfectly circular. The Earth's distance from the sun

varies over a range of about 11/2% in the course of the year.

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14y ago

No, the earth's orbit is more of an elipse

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11y ago

No, because of their spinning they bulge out at the equator and have slightly flattened poles.

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10y ago

Far from it.

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14y ago

Quite eccentric.

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Q: Is Plutos orbit close to being circular or quite eccentric?
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Is Pluto orbit close circular or quite eccentric?

Pluto has a highly eccentric orbit - it's orbital eccentricity is equal to about 0.2488. As a consequence, during parts of it's orbit around the sun, Pluto eclipses Neptune's orbit, making it closer to the sun than Neptune. The last time Pluto was closer to the sun than Neptune was between February 7, 1979 and February 11, 1999.


Do comets travel in orbits with a shape similar to the planets?

No. The planets in the Solar System all have almost circular orbits, but the orbits of comets are highly eccentric (oval-shaped). This means that while the distance a planet is from the Sun is rather constant, the path of a comet means it comes close to the Sun, and then moves far away.


When compared to the orbit of a comet the orbit of jupiter is?

more circular and closer to being a perfect circle. Comets typically have highly elliptical orbits that can take them far from the Sun and then swing back in close again, while Jupiter's orbit is more stable and predictable due to its strong gravitational influence in the solar system.


Which planet's orbit appears most elliptical?

A planet has a circular orbit, with the exception of pluto. A comet has a large but eliptical orbit. An asteroid has no orbit unless it becomes a moon. A meteor has no orbit. It usually flies in a straight line either burning up in the atmosphere or impacting on a planets surface. So, A comet.


Is Hale-Bopp a planet?

No. Hale-Bopp is a comet. Comets are much smaller than planets, and travel in very eccentric orbits. This means that they come fairly close to the Sun at perihelion, and then retreat to great distances.

Related questions

What is the motion of asteriods?

Like all orbiting bodies, an asteroid moves in an ellipse. Compared to the planets, these orbits have a higher probability of being more eccentric ("stretched out", further from being a circle). That is why some asteroids cross the orbit of the earth. Most asteroids move in near-circular orbits between Mars and Jupiter. A close approach to another asteroid or one of these planets can alter the orbit to a more eccentric one.


If the planets' orbits were circular would their distance from the sun always be the same?

Yes. However, the orbits of all planets are elliptical. Some planets, like Earth, have a very low "eccentricity", which is a measure of how non-circular they are. Earth's orbit is not quite circular, but fairly close. Other planets, like Mars, have more eccentric orbits, and their perihelion and aphelion distances are substantially different.


Which planet's orbit is most nearly circular?

Venus has the most nearly circular orbit of all the planets in our solar system. Its eccentricity, a measure of how elongated an orbit is, is only 0.0067, making it almost circular compared to other planets like Mercury or Mars.


Is Pluto orbit close circular or quite eccentric?

Pluto has a highly eccentric orbit - it's orbital eccentricity is equal to about 0.2488. As a consequence, during parts of it's orbit around the sun, Pluto eclipses Neptune's orbit, making it closer to the sun than Neptune. The last time Pluto was closer to the sun than Neptune was between February 7, 1979 and February 11, 1999.


Why do planets have circular and elliptical motions in the solar system?

The scientific explanation lies in Kepler's laws of planetary motions, which were discovered by Newton to be linked with the law of gravity. All the planets have elliptical orbits, and many of those are close being circular.


Circular muscles that close a tube when they contract?

pyloric sphincter


Are circles of different diameters that have same center called eccentric circles?

Close - they're called concentric circles.


Do comets travel in orbits with a shape similar to the planets?

No. The planets in the Solar System all have almost circular orbits, but the orbits of comets are highly eccentric (oval-shaped). This means that while the distance a planet is from the Sun is rather constant, the path of a comet means it comes close to the Sun, and then moves far away.


Is earth's orbit around the sun circular?

Not completely, however very close.


Is earths revolution circular?

Earth's orbit (revolution) around the Sun is not circular - it's an ellipse. However, this ellipse is fairly close to a circle.


What does circular dance mean to bees?

to communicate the location of food sources close to the colony


What is the difference between the earth's orbit and a comet's orbit?

The Earth's orbit around the Sun is more circular and consistent, while a comet's orbit is typically more elliptical and variable. Comets also come from the outer solar system and have highly eccentric orbits that can bring them close to the Sun, leading to the development of a bright coma and tail due to the heat and radiation.