Eccentricity
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Orbital eccentricity is the measure of the shape of a Kepler orbit, .
Every orbit is a Kepler orbit in a two-body problem, taking the shape of a conic section. Eccentricity of an orbit may be any non-negative value and is a dimensionless quantity, indicated by the variable e.
The eccentricity may take values as follows:
- Circular orbit e = 0
- Elliptical orbit 0 < e < 1
- Parabolic trajectory e = 1
- Hyperbolic trajectory e > 1
See also
Orbital eccentricity at Wikipedia.