Image: Wikimedia Commons

orbit

Curved path of an object around a point

EntityQ4130

Subclass of: trajectory
Part of: celestial mechanics

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · Read full article · Text CC BY-SA 4.0

In celestial mechanics, an orbit is the curved trajectory of an object under the influence of an attracting force. Alternatively, it is known as an orbital revolution, because it is a rotation around an axis external to the moving body. Examples for orbits include the trajectory of a planet around a star, a natural satellite around a planet, or an artificial satellite around an object or position in space such as a planet, moon, asteroid, or Lagrange point. Normally, orbit refers to a regularly repeating trajectory, although it may also refer to a non-repeating trajectory. To a close approximation, planets, and satellites follow elliptic orbits, with the center of mass being orbited at a focal point of the ellipse, as described by Kepler's laws of planetary motion.

Overview

All data

61 statements · 11% with external sources · numbers in brackets are citations

Has characteristic: orbital inclination
eccentricity
longitude of the ascending node
argument of periapsis
orbital period
periapsis
apoapsis
ground track
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semi-major axis
mean anomaly
longitude of the periapsis
semi-minor axis
true anomaly
eccentric anomaly
mean longitude
true longitude
mean motion
orbital speed
Has list: list of orbits
Main Wikidata property: orbit diagram
type of orbit
Defining formula: -\frac {G m_1 m_2}{r^2} = m_2 A_2
In defining formula: G symbol represents: Newtonian gravitational constant
m_1 symbol represents: mass
A_2 symbol represents: acceleration
m_2 symbol represents: mass
r symbol represents: Euclidean distance
Cause: gravity

On other databases

29 identifiers linking orbit across the web's reference databases

Data quality

statements

11%

externally sourced

Source last edited October 4, 2026. AIDB refreshes this page daily.

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AIDB. (2026). orbit (Q4130). Retrieved from https://aidb.si/e/orbit-Q4130