Question

1. using the eccentricity values on page 15 of the esrt, the shape of uranuss orbit is most similar to the orbit of which other planet? explain your answer.
2. halleys comet is visible from earth only once every 76 years. the comet spends most of its time outside of the solar system, and then quickly passes by the sun before getting flung by the suns gravity back outside the solar system. based on this information, do you believe that halleys comet has a low or high eccentricity? explain your answer.
3. the ellipse below represents a planets orbit around the sun. using keplers laws of planetary motion, draw an x somewhere on the ellipse below marking where the planet travels the fastest in its orbit around the sun.
4. using page 2 of the esrt, does the eccentricity of a planets orbit depend on its distance from the sun? in other words, does eccentricity increase or decrease steadily as distance from the sun increases, or is it random? support your answer with data from the esrt.

Explanation:

6.

Look up eccentricity values on page 15 of ESRT. Planets with similar eccentricities have similar - shaped orbits. Compare Uranus' eccentricity to other planets'.

High - eccentricity orbits are more elongated. Since Halley's Comet spends most of its time outside the solar system and has a long - period orbit, it has a high - eccentricity orbit.

According to Kepler's Second Law (Law of Areas), a planet moves fastest when it is closest to the Sun (perihelion). Mark the 'X' at the point on the ellipse closest to the Sun.

Answer:

You need to check the ESRT (which is not provided here) for the eccentricity values of Uranus and other planets to determine which planet has a similar - shaped orbit based on similar eccentricity values.

7.