Radial motion¶
Many properties regarding the movement of planets in the gravitational field of the star can be found by studing the energy equation of the radial motion of the planet.
Contents:
- Average potential energy via average kinetic energy
- Potential energy of radial planetary motion
- Radial kinetic energy plus potential energy is constant
- Semimajor axis via Kepler’s constant and total energy
- Semiminor axis of elliptical orbit via orbit parameters
- Total energy is negative average kinetic energy