Question

The planet Mercury has an orbital period of 87.97 days, and its greatest distance (aphelion distance)...

The planet Mercury has an orbital period of 87.97 days, and its greatest distance (aphelion distance) from the Sun is 0.4667 AU {where 1 AU " 1 Astronomical Unit = 1.496x1011 m}. The mass of the planet Mercury is 3.302x1023 kg and the mass of the Sun is 1.988x1030 kg. (a) Calculate the eccentricity of planet Mercury’s orbit around the Sun. ! (b) Calculate the highest speed of planet Mercury as it orbits around the Sun?

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