Re:Another Interstellar Object Detected in the Solar System
by lutorm on Wednesday September 11, 2019 @08:02PM
(#20946110)
... for a given semimajor axis, is what the OP forgot to add.
Re:Another Interstellar Object Detected in the Solar System
by shkkmo on Wednesday September 11, 2019 @08:07PM
(#20946151)
The absolute nearness of approach depends on the energy of the orbit as well as it's eccentricity.
Talking about the "speed" is potentially unclear as an object's speed can vary greatly within its orbit.
Is this true? I thought it depends on the object’s speed. You can have an object with e=3 have a closer approach to the sun than an object with e=2 if the first object is traveling sufficiently faster.
In other words, at a given perihelion, you can change an object’s e by accelerating or decelerating. Not a orbital mechanics major, just played too much KSP.