If you know that the period is 76 years and the semi major axis is 17.94 AU, how do you calculate the distances of the perihelion and aphelion?

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If you know that the period is 76 years and the semi major axis is 17.94 AU, how do you calculate the distances of the perihelion and aphelion?

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Answer 1 · 2016-03-28T08:07:33

There is not enough information to calculate the apses distances.

Explanation:

The period $P$ $P$ and semi-major axis $a$ $a$ are not sufficient to calculate the apses distances as the eccentricity of the orbit can't be determined.

If the eccentricity $e$ $e$ is known then the perihelion distance is $a (1 - e)$ $a(1-e)$ and the aphelion distance is $a (1 + e)$ $a(1+e)$ .

In fact the period and semi-major axis can be calculated from each other using Kepler's third law. For our solar system if $P$ $P$ is in years and $a$ $a$ is in AU then $P^{2} = a^{3}$ $P^2=a^3$ .

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If you know that the period is 76 years and the semi major axis is 17.94 AU, how do you calculate the distances of the perihelion and aphelion?

1 Answer

Explanation:

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