An elliptic orbit is one in which a celestial body follows an oval path around a focal point, such as a planet orbiting a star. This fascinating concept is grounded in the dynamics of gravity and celestial physics.
Elliptic orbits obey the laws set out by Johannes Kepler in the 17th century. Kepler's First Law, the Law of Ellipses, states: "The orbit of a planet is an ellipse with the sun at one of the two foci."
These orbits are critical to understanding how artificial satellites maintain their paths around Earth, ensuring everything from GPS functionality to weather monitoring is precise and continuous.