What visual characteristic defines an orbit when its eccentricity ($e$) approaches 0.9?
Answer
Significantly elongated, long major axis.
The value of eccentricity directly correlates with the visual appearance of the orbit's elongation. When eccentricity is near zero (e.g., $e < 0.2$), the shape is nearly circular or a very slight oval. As $e$ increases toward one, the path stretches significantly. An eccentricity value approaching 0.9 indicates a 'Highly Elliptical Orbit' characterized by a very long major axis relative to its minor axis, resulting in a dramatically elongated appearance. This contrasts sharply with the paths where $e=1$ (parabolic, open) or $e=0$ (circular, perfectly round).
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