Where does the central body, like the Sun, reside in an elliptical orbit based on Kepler's First Law?

Answer

At one of the two foci

Kepler's First Law of Planetary Motion explicitly states that the orbit of every planet is an ellipse, and the central body, such as the Sun in our solar system, is positioned precisely at one of the two fixed points known as the foci. This is a fundamental departure from the intuitive model of a perfect circle, where the central body would occupy the true center. The geometric center of the ellipse is merely the midpoint between these two foci, not the location of the primary mass. This displacement of the central body from the center is what necessitates the variation in orbital speed throughout the revolution, as dictated by the constant conservation of angular momentum.

Where does the central body, like the Sun, reside in an elliptical orbit based on Kepler's First Law?

#Videos

Why Are Planetary Orbits Elliptical? - YouTube

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