What term describes the point in an orbit where a planet moves at its maximum orbital velocity?
Answer
Perihelion
Perihelion is the specific point in a planet's elliptical path where its orbital velocity is at its maximum. This highest speed occurs precisely when the planet is closest to the Sun, a point termed the perihelion distance. This mandatory increase in speed is a direct consequence of the conservation of angular momentum, which dictates that as the planet moves closer to the central mass (reducing its distance component in the momentum equation), its tangential velocity must increase correspondingly to maintain that conserved quantity. For Earth, this closest approach occurs around January 3rd.
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