Which object has the greatest eccentricity in its orbit? a. Pluto,
b. Saturn, c. Jupiter, d. Neptune.
The correct answer is a. Pluto. An orbit is considered to be eccentric when it
deviates from a circular shape. Eccentricity is a measure of how much the
shape of an object's orbit deviates from a perfect circle. The eccentricity of an
orbit is determined by the ratio of the distance between the foci of the ellipse
(the two points that determine the shape of the ellipse) and the length of the
major axis (the longest diameter that passes through the center of the ellipse).
Pluto has the most eccentric orbit due to the gravitational influence of
Neptune, which causes Pluto's orbit to cross the orbit of Neptune. As a result,
Pluto's orbit is highly elliptical, and at times, it is closer to the sun than
Neptune is. The eccentricity of Pluto's orbit is about 0.2488, the highest
among the given objects.
Reference:
- NASA Solar System Exploration - Pluto: In Depth
(https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/dwarf-planets/pluto/in-depth/ )