Asked by Liz
If a comet has a perihelion distance of 1.AU and an orbital period of 125 Earth years.. What is the comet's aphelion? Cannot seem to find the correct calculation
Answers
Answered by
drwls
Use the period P (125 y) and Kepler's third law (in the form used for objects orbiting the sun),
P^2/a^3 = 1 ,
to get the semimajor axis of the ellipse, a .
a is (1/2) the sum of the perihelion and aphelion distance. The value that you compute for a will be in A.U units. Take it from there.
(perihelion) + (aphelion) = a/2
If you need a review of Kepler's thrd law, try
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/the_universe/uts/kepler3.html
P^2/a^3 = 1 ,
to get the semimajor axis of the ellipse, a .
a is (1/2) the sum of the perihelion and aphelion distance. The value that you compute for a will be in A.U units. Take it from there.
(perihelion) + (aphelion) = a/2
If you need a review of Kepler's thrd law, try
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/the_universe/uts/kepler3.html
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