Question

what is the perihelion distance of a planet with a semimajor axis of 6.89 au and a linear eccentricity of 4.56 au?

Explanation:

Step1: Recall the formula for perihelion distance

The formula for perihelion distance \( d_p\) is \(d_p=a - c\), where \(a\) is the semi - major axis and \(c\) is the linear eccentricity.

Step2: Substitute the given values

We are given that \(a = 6.89\) AU and \(c=4.56\) AU.
Substitute these values into the formula: \(d_p=6.89 - 4.56\).

Step3: Calculate the result

\(6.89-4.56 = 2.33\)

Answer:

\(2.33\) AU