Timeline for What are these orientations called in orbit?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
5 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Feb 14, 2014 at 16:28 | comment | added | Nickolai | You're right, radius and velocity vectors are not perpendicular for an elliptical orbit, they're separated by the flight path angle gamma, which is computed using the "local horizon" which is an imaginary line that is perpendicular to the radius vector. Wow, I'm rustier than I thought! | |
| Feb 12, 2014 at 4:07 | comment | added | Maxpm | Eccentric orbits are ellipses with the planet's center at one of the foci. At any given point on an ellipse, the line perpendicular to the tangent does not necessarily pass through either foci. Your statement would be true for a perfectly circular orbit, but not the one pictured. | |
| Feb 11, 2014 at 19:14 | comment | added | Nickolai | I'm assuming that the coordinate system is orthogonal and in the orbital plane, therefore if the red vector is pointing in the direction of velocity, the green vector must point to the center of the planet. If it's not orthogonal or not in the orbital plane, then it's just a random set of vectors that don't do anyone any good. Unless it's part of some weird scavenger hunt. | |
| Feb 10, 2014 at 18:22 | comment | added | Maxpm | The green arrows do not necessarily point to the center of the planet. See my comments on PearsonArtPhoto's answer. | |
| Feb 10, 2014 at 16:39 | history | answered | Nickolai | CC BY-SA 3.0 |