Orbit of Mars

Quick Facts: Who was Orbit of Mars?

Subject:

Orbit of Mars

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The orbital path of Mars around the Sun, characterized by varying eccentricity.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Mars has an orbit with a semimajor axis of 1.524 astronomical units (228 million km) (12.673 light minutes), and an eccentricity of 0.0934. The planet orbits the Sun in 687 days and travels 9.55 AU in doing so, making the average orbital speed 24 km/s. The eccentricity is greater than that of any other planet except Mercury, and this causes a large difference between the aphelion and perihelion distances—they are respectively 1.666 and 1.381 AU.

Career & Major Achievements

Mars is in the midst of a long-term increase in eccentricity. It reached a minimum of 0.079 about 19 millennia ago, and will peak at about 0.105 after about 24 millennia from now (and with perihelion distances a mere 1.3621 astronomical units). The orbit is at times near circular: 1.35 million years ago it was 0.002, and will reach a similar minimum 1.05 million years into the future.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The maximum eccentricity between those two extreme minima is 0.12 in about 200 thousand years. Mars reaches opposition when there is a 180° difference between the geocentric longitudes of it and the Sun.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Orbit of Mars

True or False: “Mars's orbit is subject to long-term, cyclical changes in eccentricity over millions of years.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The orbital eccentricity of Mars is not constant; it undergoes predictable, long-term increases and decreases over vast timescales, as evidenced by its historical and future minimums and peaks.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Orbital propellant depot — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: A space cache for refueling spacecraft and extending satellite life in orbit.
• Orbiting Astronomical Observatory — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: A series of four American space observatories launched by NASA (1966-1972).
• Orbiting Solar Observatory — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: A series of American space telescopes designed to study the Sun in UV and X-ray spectra.
• Order of Assassins — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Nizari Isma'ili Shia military order, famous for its mountain castles and assassinations.
• Order of Dobrzyń — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: A 13th-century Polish military order established in the borderland of Masovia and Prussia.
• Ordoño II of León — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: King of León and Galicia, known for unifying the Christian kingdoms against Muslim rule.

Frequently Asked Questions about Orbit of Mars