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orbital elements
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Orbital elements are the parameters required to uniquely identify a specific orbit. In celestial mechanics these elements are considered in two-body systems using a Kepler orbit. There are many different ways to mathematically describe the same orbit, but certain schemes are commonly used in astronomy and orbital mechanics.
A real orbit and its elements change over time due to gravitational perturbations by other objects and the effects of general relativity. A Kepler orbit is an idealized, mathematical approximation of the orbit at a particular time.
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conic section
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apsis
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orbital inclination
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orbital eccentricity
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two-body problem
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orbital node
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North American Aerospace Defense Command
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orbital plane
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Kozai mechanism
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semi-axis
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longitude of the periapsis
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near-equatorial orbit
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Earth
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Sun
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Moon
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astronomy
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Carl Friedrich Gauss
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gravity
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NASA
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mass
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