Eccentricity

Orbital eccentricity is the measure of the shape of a Kepler orbit, .

Every orbit is a Kepler orbit in a two-body problem, taking the shape of a conic section. Eccentricity of an orbit may be any non-negative value and is a dimensionless quantity, indicated by the variable e.

The eccentricity may take values as follows:

• Circular orbit e = 0
• Elliptical orbit 0 < e < 1
• Parabolic trajectory e = 1
• Hyperbolic trajectory e > 1

See also

Orbital eccentricity at Wikipedia.

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