Formulas

Aphelion, perihelion refer to farthest distance, and closest to the Sun. Apogee,
perigee refer to farthest distance and closest to the Earth. (peri is the closest)

a
e

p peri aap
2
p peri

aap

aap p peri

(1 e)
p peri

V p peri

(1 e)
aap

Va ap
2

Pperiod a 3

Finding the semi major axis. This is the

average distance from the orbiting body
How much it departs from a circle between o and 1

Velocity at peri (closest point), use correct

Velocity at ap (farthest point), use correct

Period using a in solar system only use if
orbiting the Sun.

Pperiod

a3
2

Vescape

rradius

Vcircular

Period of orbiting object in seconds, use

correct

The escape velocity from a body , use correct

rradius hheight

p peri a (1 e)
aap a (1 e)

Velocity for object orbiting in a

circular orbit . Use correct

Closet distance the orbiting object comes to the

object being orbited in an elliptical orbit
Farthest distance the orbiting object comes to the
object being orbited in an elliptical orbit

Conversions
To change from km/sec to miles/hr
Km/sec (3600 sec/hr)(0.62137 miles/km= miles/hr
If the period is in seconds / 3600 for hours
To change from au to km multiply by 150,000,000 or 1.5 X 108 km
To change from miles to km multiply by 1.61 km/mile
e has no units.
There is a review of math with scientific notation on slide 15
** Be sure you use the of the body that is being orbited ***
I did not always follow exactly significant figures, but I did not
use all the digits.
Answers may vary slightly depending upon how you round off
the decimals, and thats ok.

The gravitational parameter

Body

Sun
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto

(km3s-2)
132,712,440,018
22,032
324,859
398,600
42,828
126,686,534
37,931,187
5,793,947
6,836,529
1,001

In Astrodynamics,the standard gravitational parameter of a celestial body is

the product of the gravitational constant
and the mass :

GM

The units of the standard gravitational parameter are km 3 s-2

**Be sure to use the right

for the object you are orbiting ! ****

Eccentricity of ellipse
eccentricity

e)

0=circle, 1 = line

aphelion - perihelion
___________________________

e = aphelion + perihelion

e=0
e=0.98

Properties of Ellipses
semi-major axis = a
1/2 length of major axis
b

a = Semi-major axis
b = Semi-minor axis

a = aphelion
+ perihelion
_______________________
2

perihelion

aphelion

P2 a3

Using the KeplersThird Law

P2 a3
P2 a3

if :

P measured in earth years, and a in AU.

A planets avg distance from the sun is 4 au, what is
the period of the planet ?

P 4 , p 64,
2

64, P 8 years

Astronomers use the metric system, whereas we are all more

familiar with the English system. I will use conversion so that you
can be more familiar with the answers.
I. The space shuttle is in a circular orbit 200 miles above the earth.
Find the period and velocity of the shuttle.
200miles(1.61 km/mile) =322 km above the Earth. The height of the
satellite in the problem must be the radius of the earth + height of
object. Radius of earth 6378km r+h = 6378+322= 6700 km
Vcircular

rradius hheight

398,000km3 / sec 2
Vcircular
59.403km 2 / sec 2 7,707km / sec
6700km
(7,707km / sec)(3600sec/ hour )(0.62137 mi / km) 17, 240miles / hour

You cant use Pperiod a 3 because it circles the earth, not the Sun.

Pperiod

Pperiod

a3
2

a is the distance from center of Earth to the shuttle

(6700km)3
2
2

755685.9sec
2(3.141)(869.3) 5461.8sec
3
2
398,000km / sec

II. This problem covers a lot of formulas. An asteroids closest approach to the
sun is 2 au, and its farthest distance from the Sun is 4.5 au. Find a, the
eccentricity, distance at perihelion, distance at aphelion, period, velocity at
perihelion, and aphelion.

2
p peri aap
e

aap p peri

aap p peri

2 4.5
a
3.25au
2
4.5 2 2.5
e
0.385
4.5 2 6.5

Find the perihelion, and aphelion distances.

p peri a (1 e) = 3.25au (1 - 0.385) = (3.25)(.615) = 1.99 au

aap a (1 e) = 3.25au (1+ 0.385) = 4.43 au
Find the period.

Pperiod a

Pperiod 3.253

Pperiod 5.86 years

Perihelion, and aphelion must be changer to km, since contains km . To

change multiply au by 150,000,000 km/au , or 1.5 X 108

V p peri

(1 e)
p peri

V p peri 2.48km / sec

V p peri

1.327 X 1011 (1 0.385)

1.99(1.5 X 108 )

V p peri

18.38 X 1010

2.99 X 108

V p peri 24.8km / sec

24.8 km/sec(3600)(.6213) = 55,469.7 miles/hour

Va ap

Va

(1 e)
aap

1.3267 x1011 (1 .385)

Va
4.43(1.5 X 108 )

0.816 X 1011
6, 645 X 108 )

8.16 X 1010
Va
6.645 X 108 )

Va 3.504km / sec = 3.504(3600)(0.62137)= 7,838.8 mils/hour

III. An Earth satellite is in an elliptical orbit around the Earth; its
perigee is 160 km, and the apogee is 800 km. Find e, period, and
velocity at perigee, and apogee. Radius of the Earth = 6380 km

=800 +6380 = 7180km

aap p peri
aap p peri

p peri

aap

= 160 + 6380 = 6540 km

7180 6540
0.0466
7180 6540

V p peri

V p peri

(1 e)
p peri

398,600km3 / sec 2 (1.0466)

8.17km / sec(3600)(.62137) 18, 277 miles / hour

6540km

Va ap

(1 e)
aap

398,600km3 / sec 2 (1 0.0466)

Vaap
7.1km / sec(3600)(.62137) 15,890miles / hour
7180km

We need a

Pperiod 2
Pperiod

a
a3

p peri aap
2

6540 7180
a
6860km
2

(680km)3
3.228 X 1011
2
2(3.1415)
5,654.2sec onds /3600 = 1.57 hrs
5
398,600km
3.986 X 10

I had to include my Halleys comet problem. Halleys has a period of ~76 years
and e=0.967 Find the velocity at perihelion (close), and aphelion (far).

P 2 a3

76 2 a 3

a 17.94au

p perihelion a (1 e) = 17.94(0.033) = .592 au (

7
1.5 X 108 ) = 8.88 X 10 km

aaphelion a (1 e) = 17.94(1.967) = 35.45 au ( 1.5 X 108 ) = 5.385 X 109 km

V p peri

(1 e)
p peri

1.32712 X 1011 km3 / sec 2 (1.967)

V perihelion
54.343km / sec(3600)(.62137) 121,560miles / hour
7
8.88 X 10 km
Va ap

Vaphelion

(1 e)
aap

1.32712 X 1011 km3 / sec 2 (0.033)

.9075km / sec(3600)(.62137) 2, 030miles / hour

9
5.358 X 10 km

A Review of Scientific Notation Math

Multiplication:
The digit terms are multiplied in the normal way and
the exponents are added. The end result is changed so
that there is only one nonzero digit to the left of the
decimal.
Example: (3.4 x 106)(4.2 x 103) = (3.4)(4.2) x 10(6+3) =
14.28 x 109 = 1.4 x 1010
(to 2 significant figures)
Example: (6.73 x 10-5)(2.91 x 102) = (6.73)(2.91) x 10(-5+2)
= 19.58 x 10-3 = 1.96 x 10-2
(to 3 significant figures)

Division:
The digit terms are divided in the normal way and the
exponents are subtracted. The quotient is changed (if necessary)
so that there is only one nonzero digit to the left of the decimal.
Example: (6.4 x 106)/(8.9 x 102) = (6.4)/(8.9) x 10(6-2) = 0.719 x 104
= 7.2 x 103
(to 2 significant figures)
Example: (3.2 x 103)/(5.7 x 10-2) = (3.2)/(5.7) x 103-(-2) = 0.561 x 105
= 5.6 x 104
(to 2 significant figures)

Powers of Exponentials:
The digit term is raised to the indicated power and the exponent is
multiplied by the number that indicates the power.
Example: (2.4 x 104)3 = (2.4)3 x 10(4x3) = 13.824 x 1012 = 1.4 x 1013
(to 2 significant figures)
Example: (6.53 x 10-3)2 = (6.53)2 x 10(-3)x2 = 42.64 x 10-6 = 4.26 x 10-5
(to 3 significant figures)
Roots of Exponentials:
Change the exponent if necessary so that the number is divisible by the
root. Remember that taking the square root is the same as raising the
number to the one-half power.

Example: