Orbital Elements

Orbital elements are the parameters that define the shape and orientation of an object's orbit around another object. In space and astronautical engineering, these elements are used to calculate the position and velocity of a spacecraft or celestial body at any given time. The six orbital elements are the semi-major axis, eccentricity, inclination, longitude of the ascending node, argument of periapsis, and true anomaly. The semi-major axis is the distance between the center of mass of the two objects, while eccentricity describes the shape of the orbit. Inclination is the angle between the orbital plane and a reference plane, while longitude of the ascending node is the angle between the reference direction and the point where the orbit crosses the reference plane. Argument of periapsis is the angle between the ascending node and the point of closest approach to the primary object, and true anomaly is the angle between the periapsis and the current position of the object.
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