Apsis

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/apsis

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the line of apsides?The major axis of an elliptical orbit, connecting periapsis and apoapsis
2. What is the earth's perihelion date?Typically occurs around January 3rd
3. Why does Earth's perihelion happen in January?Earth's orbit is slightly elliptical, so the closest point to the Sun, called perihelion, falls around January 3rd. This happens because the shape of the orbit makes the Earth nearer to the Sun at that time.
4. How does the Moon's perigee affect tides?When the Moon is at perigee, it is closer to Earth, so its pull on the oceans is stronger. This makes high tides higher and low tides lower, especially during a full or new moon.

Apoapsis: The point in an orbit farthest from the body being orbited.
Periapsis: The point in an orbit closest to the body being orbited.
Eccentricity: A measure of how much an orbit deviates from being a perfect circle.
Precession: A slow, continuous change in the orientation of an orbit's axis.