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Halley's Comet has a perihelion distance of 0.6 AU and an orbital period of 76 years. What is its aphelion distance from the Sun?

Halley's Comet has a perihelion distance of 0.6 AU and an orbital period of 76 years. What is its aphelion distance from the Sun?

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### Understanding Halley's Comet Orbital Characteristics Halley's Comet has a perihelion distance of 0.6 AU (Astronomical Units) and an orbital period of 76 years. What is its aphelion distance from the Sun? #### Key Terms: - **Perihelion Distance**: The closest point in the orbit of a celestial body to the Sun. - **Aphelion Distance**: The farthest point in the orbit of a celestial body from the Sun. - **Orbital Period**: The time taken for a celestial body to complete one full orbit around the Sun. - **AU (Astronomical Unit)**: A unit of measurement equal to the average distance between the Earth and the Sun, approximately 149.6 million kilometers (93 million miles). #### Explanation: To find the aphelion distance from the Sun, various orbital properties and laws, such as Kepler's laws and the specific orbital parameters given for Halley's Comet, must be utilized. The given information includes the perihelion distance of 0.6 AU and the orbital period of 76 years. Using these details, a number of further calculations involving celestial mechanics would typically be performed to determine the aphelion distance. This content serves as a foundational exercise in comprehending the dynamics of cometary orbits in astrophysics classes. ---- For more content about celestial bodies and their orbits, explore our educational resources on Astronomy.
Transcribed Image Text:### Understanding Halley's Comet Orbital Characteristics Halley's Comet has a perihelion distance of 0.6 AU (Astronomical Units) and an orbital period of 76 years. What is its aphelion distance from the Sun? #### Key Terms: - **Perihelion Distance**: The closest point in the orbit of a celestial body to the Sun. - **Aphelion Distance**: The farthest point in the orbit of a celestial body from the Sun. - **Orbital Period**: The time taken for a celestial body to complete one full orbit around the Sun. - **AU (Astronomical Unit)**: A unit of measurement equal to the average distance between the Earth and the Sun, approximately 149.6 million kilometers (93 million miles). #### Explanation: To find the aphelion distance from the Sun, various orbital properties and laws, such as Kepler's laws and the specific orbital parameters given for Halley's Comet, must be utilized. The given information includes the perihelion distance of 0.6 AU and the orbital period of 76 years. Using these details, a number of further calculations involving celestial mechanics would typically be performed to determine the aphelion distance. This content serves as a foundational exercise in comprehending the dynamics of cometary orbits in astrophysics classes. ---- For more content about celestial bodies and their orbits, explore our educational resources on Astronomy.
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