page_title: Elliptic orbit
hierarchical_section_title: Elliptic orbit
caption_attribution_description: English: Two bodies with similar mass orbiting around a common barycenter (red cross) with elliptic orbits. Polski: Dwa ciała o jednakowych masach krążące po orbitach eliptycznych wokół wspólnego barycentrum (układ potencjalnie niestabilny).
context_page_description: In astrodynamics or celestial mechanics, an elliptic orbit or elliptical orbit is a Kepler orbit with an eccentricity of less than 1; this includes the special case of a circular orbit, with eccentricity equal to 0. In a stricter sense, it is a Kepler orbit with the eccentricity greater than 0 and less than 1. In a wider sense, it is a Kepler's orbit with negative energy. This includes the radial elliptic orbit, with eccentricity equal to 1.
  In a gravitational two-body problem with negative energy, both bodies follow similar elliptic orbits with the same orbital period around their common barycenter. Also the relative position of one body with respect to the other follows an elliptic orbit.
  Examples of elliptic orbits include: Hohmann transfer orbit, Molniya orbit, and tundra orbit.
context_section_description: In astrodynamics or celestial mechanics, an elliptic orbit or elliptical orbit is a Kepler orbit with an eccentricity of less than 1; this includes the special case of a circular orbit, with eccentricity equal to 0. In a stricter sense, it is a Kepler orbit with the eccentricity greater than 0 and less than 1 (thus excluding the circular orbit). In a wider sense, it is a Kepler's orbit with negative energy. This includes the radial elliptic orbit, with eccentricity equal to 1.
  In a gravitational two-body problem with negative energy, both bodies follow similar elliptic orbits with the same orbital period around their common barycenter. Also the relative position of one body with respect to the other follows an elliptic orbit.
  Examples of elliptic orbits include: Hohmann transfer orbit, Molniya orbit, and tundra orbit.
caption: Two bodies with similar mass orbiting around a common barycenter with elliptic orbits.