A comet is found in a highly elliptical orbit to have a semi-major axis equal to one astronomical unit (AU). According to Kelper s 3 rd law of what would be the sidereal period of this comet?
A) It will be more than one year.
B) It will be one year.
C) It will be less than one year.
D) 76 years; the same for every comet
E) Not enough information is given to determine.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Kepler's 3rd law, the square of the sidereal period of an orbit is proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of the orbit. If the semi-major axis is 1 AU, the period is 1 year, as is the case for Earth's orbit.

A Comet Is Found in a Highly Elliptical Orbit to Have