Interactive Simulator · Elliptical Orbits

Race the Comet

A comet moves on a stretched, elliptical orbit with the Sun at one focus. It speeds up as it swings in close and slows down as it heads out far away. This is energy being swapped: close to the Sun it has lots of kinetic energy, far away it has more gravitational energy. The total stays the same.

Mission Mark the point where the comet moves fastest. Round 1Streak 0Best 0
At the point you mark, the comet's energy is mostly:
distance from Sun at markerfar
kinetic energy herelow
gravitational energy herehigh
KE + GPE is constant. Close to the Sun: fast, high KE. Far away: slow, high GPE.