Kepler Orbits

eccentricity ϵ

0

The Kepler orbits for a two-body system under a central gravitational force can be represented by a polar curve that relates the distance between the two bodies with the angle from the

x

axis. The shape of the orbit depends on its eccentricity, which is determined by the energy of the system.

Vary the eccentricity to see how the energy and the shape of the orbit changes. The center of attraction is shown by a point at the origin.