ORBITAL PERIOD

Domain	Definition
Aerospace	The interval between successive passages of a satellite through the same point in its orbit. Often called period. See anomalistic period, nodical period, sidereal period. (references)
Physics	The amount of time it takes a spacecraft or other object to travel once around it's orbit. (references)
Space	The length of time required for a body to complete one full (closed) orbit. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Specialty Definition: Orbital period

The orbital period is the time it takes a planet (or another object) to make one full orbit.

There are two main kinds of orbital periods of objects orbiting the sun:

The sidereal period is the time that it takes the object to make one full orbit around the sun, relative to the stars. This is considered to be an object's true orbital period.
The synodic period is the time that it takes for the object to reappear at the same spot in the sky, relative to the sun, as observed from Earth. This is the time that elapses between two successive conjunctions with the sun and is the object's apparent orbital period. The synodic period differs from the sidereal period since Earth itself revolves around the sun.

Relation between sidereal and synodic period

Copernicus devised a mathematical formula to relate a planet's sidereal period with its synodic period.

Using the abbreviations

P = planet's sidereal period

S = planet's synodic period

E = the sidereal period of Earth

During the time S, the Earth moves over an angle of (360°/E)S (assuming a circular orbit) and the planet moves (360°/P)S.

Let us consider the case of an inferior planet, i.e. a planet that will complete one orbit more than Earth before the two return toe the same position relative to the sun.

(360°)/P)S = (360°/E)S + 360°

and using algebra we obtain

1/P = 1/E + 1/S

For a superior planet one derives likewise:

1/P = 1/E - 1/S

Related topics

sidereal time
sideral year
synodic month

Modern Translation: ORBITAL PERIOD

Language		Translations for "ORBITAL PERIOD"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.
Danish		omloebstid (cycle, period of revolution, time of revolution). (various references)

Dutch		omloopstijd (period of revolution, time of revolution). (various references)

French		période de révolution, période, durée de révolution. (various references)

German		Umlaufzeit (period of revolution, rotation, rotation length, rotation period, time of revolution). (various references)

Italian		periodo di rivoluzione (period of revolution, time of revolution). (various references)

Pig Latin		orbitalay eriodpay

Spanish		período de revolución (period of revolution, time of revolution). (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

Anagrams: ORBITAL PERIOD

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams
	Words within the letters "a-b-d-e-i-i-l-o-o-p-r-r-t"
	-3 letters: tailorbird.
	-4 letters: doorplate, editorial, irritable, liberator, parboiled, potboiled, potboiler.
	-5 letters: adroiter, biparted, bloodier, boltrope, broodier, diatribe, dioptral, dipteral, droopier, idolater, idolator, laborite, librated, operator, oribatid, paltrier, parotoid, parroted, partible, peridial, petaloid, petiolar, pitiable, portable, portaled, portlier, predator, pretrial, priorate, probated, prolabor, prorated, railbird, reptilia, retailor, tailored, teardrop, toreador, toroidal, trapdoor, trilobed, tripedal, triploid.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.

ORBITAL PERIOD

Specialty Definition: ORBITAL PERIOD

Aerospace

Physics

Space

Specialty Definition: Orbital period

Relation between sidereal and synodic period

Related topics

Crosswords: ORBITAL PERIOD

Modern Translation: ORBITAL PERIOD

Danish

Dutch

French

German

Italian

Pig Latin

Spanish

Anagrams: ORBITAL PERIOD

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

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