1 article for "Ellipse"

A conic section; an oval-shaped geometric figure. See Figure E1. The ellipse is the shape of the orbit of the Earth-Moon Barycenter, and the other planets, around the Sun. The size of the ellipse is usually specified by giving the semi-major axis, a. The shape of the ellipse is specified by the eccentricity, e. The central body is located at focus, F. The motion of the revolving body is usually computed using three angles: Mean Anomaly, Eccentric Anomaly, and True Anomaly.

See also:
♦ Kepler's Laws ♦ Conic Section ♦ Semi-major Axis ♦ Eccentricity ♦ Mean Anomaly ♦ Eccentric Anomaly ♦ True Anomaly