Question

find all of the ways you can change a bodys orbit. record your observations in the table below.

action	effect on orbit shape and size	sketch
move body closer to the star

a what do all orbits have in common?
b what variables affect the orbits shape? list all of them
2 describe at least 3 ways to reach edge cases in the simulation (the orbit becomes dashed and a warning message appears on screen) write the warning message and what you did to reach that orbit
a
b
c
3 in each of those situations, how would you get back to a stable orbit?

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze moving body closer to star

When a body is moved closer to the star, the gravitational - force between the star and the body increases. The orbit size decreases (semi - major axis decreases) and the shape may become more elliptical if the initial orbit was circular or less elliptical. For simplicity, we can assume a circular - to - elliptical change in shape in some cases. As for the sketch, we can draw an initial circular orbit around the star and then a more elongated (elliptical) orbit closer to the star.

Step2: Answer part a

All orbits are conic sections. They can be circles, ellipses, parabolas, or hyperbolas. In the context of bound orbits (where the body stays around the central mass like a star), they are circles or ellipses. They all follow Kepler's laws of planetary motion.

Step3: Answer part b

The variables that affect the orbit shape include the initial velocity of the orbiting body (both magnitude and direction), the mass of the central body (like the star), and the mass of the orbiting body (to a lesser extent as the two - body problem can be reduced to a one - body problem with a reduced mass in most cases).

Step4: Find edge - cases

Edge - case 1

If the velocity of the orbiting body is too high, it may escape the gravitational pull of the star. The warning message could be "Body is escaping the star's gravitational field". To reach this, we increase the initial velocity of the body until the orbit becomes unbound (hyperbolic).

Edge - case 2

If the body gets too close to the star, it may be pulled in and crash into the star. The warning message could be "Body is on a collision course with the star". To reach this, we decrease the distance of the body from the star until the orbit is no longer sustainable.

Edge - case 3

If the initial conditions are set such that the body has a very low velocity and is far from the star, it may have a very elongated and unstable orbit. The warning message could be "Orbit is highly unstable". To reach this, we set a low initial velocity and a large initial distance from the star.

Step5: Return to stable orbit

For high - velocity escape case

Reduce the velocity of the body. This can be done by applying a retro - thrust (in a real - world scenario like a space mission).

For collision case

Increase the distance of the body from the star. This can be achieved by applying a thrust in a direction away from the star.

For unstable low - velocity case

Increase the velocity of the body to make the orbit more circular and stable. A forward thrust can be applied.

Answer:

Action	Effect on orbit shape and size	Sketch
a. What do all orbits have in common?	All orbits are conic sections and follow Kepler's laws (bound orbits are circles or ellipses)	-
b. What variables affect the orbit shape?	Initial velocity (magnitude and direction), mass of central body, mass of orbiting body (lesser extent)	-
2a. Edge - case 1	Body is escaping the star's gravitational field. Increase initial velocity until orbit is unbound (hyperbolic)	-
2b. Edge - case 2	Body is on a collision course with the star. Decrease distance of body from star until orbit is unsustainable	-
2c. Edge - case 3	Orbit is highly unstable. Set low initial velocity and large initial distance from star	-
3a. For high - velocity escape case	Reduce velocity by applying retro - thrust	-
3b. For collision case	Increase distance from star by applying thrust away from star	-
3c. For unstable low - velocity case	Increase velocity by applying forward thrust	-