Question

eccentric orbit quick check
astronomers discover a new comet that follows a highly elliptical orbit. what is its eccentricity likely to be? (1 point)
○ 0.9200
○ 0.0009
○ 0.0014
○ 0.1500

Explanation:

The eccentricity of an orbit is a measure of how "stretched out" an ellipse is. A circle has an eccentricity of 0, and as the orbit becomes more elliptical (more stretched), the eccentricity approaches 1. A highly elliptical orbit (like that of a comet, especially one with a long, stretched - out path) will have an eccentricity close to 1. Among the given options, 0.9200 is much closer to 1 than 0.0009, 0.0014, or 0.1500. The values 0.0009 and 0.0014 are very close to 0, indicating nearly circular orbits (like many planetary orbits), and 0.1500 is relatively low for a highly elliptical orbit. So the comet with a highly elliptical orbit is likely to have an eccentricity of 0.9200.

Answer:

A. 0.9200