orbital eccentricity
Elliptical Orbits Could be Essential to the Habitability of Rocky Planets
A seismic shift occurred in astronomy during the Scientific Revolution, beginning with 16th-century polymath Copernicus and his proposal that the…
New Evidence for Our Solar System’s Ghost: Planet Nine
Does another undetected planet languish in our Solar System's distant reaches? Does it follow a distant orbit around the Sun…
Old Data from Kepler Turns Up A System with Seven Planets
NASA's Kepler mission ended in 2018 after more than nine years of fruitful planet-hunting. The space telescope discovered thousands of…
How Far is Venus From the Sun?
In addition to be the second closet planet to our Sun, Venus also has the most circular orbit - varying…
How Far is Mercury from the Sun?
As the closest (and most eccentric) planet to our Sun, Mercury's distance ranges from 46 million km (28.58 million mi)…
What is the Closest Planet to Earth?
When our Venus (aka. "Earth's Twin") orbits between the Earth and the Sun (i.e. during an interior conjunction), it becomes…