A comet moves in a highly elliptical orbit. Where does it spend most of its time?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks about the orbital dynamics of a comet in a highly elliptical orbit and where it will spend most of its time.
First, recall Kepler's second law: a planet or comet sweeps out equal areas in equal times. This means it moves faster when near perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) and slower when near aphelion (furthest distance).
Option by option:
- At intermediate distances from the Sun: This would imply a roughly even distribution of time across various distances, which contradicts the variable orbital speed dictated by Kepler's laws. Since the speed is not uniform, this choice ignores the slower motion near the far end of the orbit.
- At large distances from the Sun: Given the slower orbital speed near aphelion, the object spends a longer portion of the orbital period far from the Sun. The time spent increases as velocity decreases, so a substantial fraction of the orbit occurs when the comet is distant from the Sun.
- It spends equal amounts of time everywhere: This would require a constant angular rate or constant speed, neither of which applies to an elliptical orbit under gravity. The speed varies significantly along the path, so time is not distributed equally across all distances.
- Cannot tell from the information supplied: The key principle needed to answer—Kepler's second law and the behavior of elliptical orbits—is standard physics that applies here. The given information is sufficient to determine the qualitative behavior.
- At small distances from the Sun: The comet moves quickly near perihelion, occupying a smaller fraction of the orbital period in this region. Therefore, this option would imply less time spent there overall, which contradicts the faster motion in that region.
Put together, the reasoning aligns with the understanding that objects in elliptical orbits linger longer when far from the central body and zip through the close approach, leading to more time spent at large distances from the Sun than at other ranges.

ASTRON 2140 AU2025 (23428) Final - 2025 Dec 12

A comet moves in a highly elliptical orbit. Where does it spend most of its time?

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ASTRON 2140 AU2025 (23428) Final - 2025 Dec 12

A comet moves in a highly elliptical orbit. Where does it spend most of its time?

查看解析

登录即可查看完整答案

类似问题

According to Kepler's 2nd law, during what month is Earth moving the fastest in its orbit?

Kepler's second law states that the line joining the Sun to a planet

Kepler's first law states that the orbits of the planets are

Kepler's First Law of Planetary Motion states that a planet will orbit on a(n) _____ with the Sun located at _____.

Europa, a moon of Jupiter, has an orbital diameter of 1.34 x 109 m, and a period of 3.55 days. What is the mass of Jupiter?

According to Kepler's 2nd Law, comets on highly eccentric orbits should rarely be found

According to Kepler's third law, a planet's orbital period (time to complete one full orbit) is directly related to the planet's average

Kepler's 1st law states that all planetary orbits are circular.

更多留学生实用工具

希望你的学习变得更简单

Kepler's First Law of Planetary Motion states that a planet will orbit on a(n) _ with the Sun located at _.