Question: A comet of mass 1.20 X 1010 kg moves in an elliptical orbit around the Sun. Its distance from the Sun ranges between 0.500 AU

A comet of mass 1.20 X 1010 kg moves in an elliptical orbit around the Sun. Its distance from the Sun ranges between 0.500 AU and 50.0 AU. (a) What is the eccentricity of its orbit? (b) What is its period? (c) At aphelion what is the potential energy of the comet–Sun system? Note: 1 AU = one astronomical unit = the average distance from Sun to Earth = 1.496 X 1011 m.

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a b c The major axis of the orbit is Further in Figure 135 ... View full answer

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