PERICENTER Meaning and
Definition
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Pericenter is a term used in astronomy and astrodynamics to refer to a specific point in the orbit of a celestial body. It is defined as the point at which the body is closest to the object it is orbiting.
More specifically, pericenter is the point of closest approach in an elliptical orbit around a central body, such as a planet or a star. In such orbits, the body moves along an elliptical path, with the centered object at one of the two foci of the ellipse. The other focus remains empty.
The pericenter is a significant point in an orbit because it marks the closest distance between the orbiting body and the central object. This distance is known as the pericentric distance, and it can vary depending on the shape of the orbit.
Pericenter is used in various astronomical calculations and observations to determine the characteristics of an orbit, such as the period, eccentricity, and inclination. It is particularly important in studying celestial bodies within our solar system, such as planets and comets, as their orbits around the Sun are generally elliptical.
The opposite point to pericenter is known as apocenter, or apoapsis, which represents the farthest point from the central body in an orbit. Together, pericenter and apocenter define the orientation and shape of an elliptical orbit.
Common Misspellings for PERICENTER
- oericenter
- lericenter
- 0ericenter
- pwricenter
- psricenter
- pdricenter
- prricenter
- p4ricenter
- p3ricenter
- peeicenter
- pedicenter
- peficenter
- peticenter
- pe5icenter
- pe4icenter
- perucenter
- perjcenter
- perkcenter
- perocenter
- per9center
Etymology of PERICENTER
The word "pericenter" has its roots in the field of astronomy and comes from the combination of two Greek words: "peri" (περί), meaning "around" or "near", and "kentron" (κέντρον), meaning "center".
In astronomy, pericenter refers to the point in an orbit where an object such as a planet, asteroid, or satellite comes closest to the center of mass of another celestial body. It is particularly used in relation to the orbits of planets around the Sun and the orbits of celestial bodies around other massive objects.
The term pericenter was derived to describe this specific point in an orbit where the object is nearest to the central body, drawing from the Greek words that appropriately convey the concept of "near the center".
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