PX282 - I4 - energy in orbits
- from kepler's second law, it is known that the planet sweeps out an equal area in equal time intervals
- therefore, a planet has the largest velocity, and hence the highest kinetic energy when passing by the perihelion (closest to the star), and the lowest potential energy
- also, it will have the lowest kinetic energy when passing by the aphelion (furthest away from the star, and the highest potential energy
- therefore, the virial theorem:
- this applies to all gravitationally bound systems in equilibrium