Astronomers discover a new comet that follows a highly elliptical orbit. What is its eccentricity likely to be?(1 point) Responses 0.9200 0.9200 0.0014 0.0014 0.0009 0.0009 0.1500
The eccentricity of a highly elliptical orbit is likely to be closer to 0.92.
The eccentricity of a highly elliptical orbit is likely to be 0.9200 or 0.9200.
To determine the eccentricity of a comet's orbit, astronomers make use of observational data and calculations. Eccentricity is a measure of how elongated or stretched out an orbit is. It ranges from 0 to 1, with 0 indicating a perfectly circular orbit and 1 indicating an extremely elongated orbit.
In this case, we have multiple responses for the eccentricity of the new comet's orbit: 0.9200, 0.0014, 0.0009, and 0.1500. To determine which value is likely to be the eccentricity of the comet's orbit, we can compare them and look for patterns or trends.
Since the question states that the comet's orbit is "highly elliptical," we can eliminate the values of 0.0014 and 0.0009, as they are very close to circular orbits (eccentricity near 0).
Next, we compare the remaining eccentricity values: 0.9200 and 0.1500. These values indicate significantly more elongated orbits. Considering that the question emphasizes the "highly elliptical" nature of the comet's orbit, it is more likely that the eccentricity of the new comet's orbit is 0.9200.
Therefore, the most likely eccentricity for the new comet's orbit is approximately 0.9200.