Suppose a comet orbits the Sun on a highly eccentric orbit with an average (semimajor axis)distance of 1 AU.How long does it take to complete each orbit,and how do we know?
A)One year,which we know from Kepler's third law.
B)It depends on the eccentricity of the orbit,as described by Kepler's second law.
C)It depends on the eccentricity of the orbit,as described by Kepler's first law.
D)Each orbit should take about 2 years,because the eccentricity is so large.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Kepler's third law states that the square of the orbital period of a planet is directly proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit. Since the semi-major axis is given as 1 AU, which is the average distance from the Earth to the Sun, the orbital period would be one year, the same as Earth's.

Suppose a Comet Orbits the Sun on a Highly Eccentric