Orbit
An orbit is the curved path one object follows around another under gravity, such as Earth around the Sun.
An orbit is the path of an object moving around another, held by gravity. The Moon orbits Earth, and Earth, the other planets, asteroids and comets orbit the Sun. An object in orbit is constantly falling towards what it orbits, but it is moving sideways so fast that it keeps missing.
Most orbits are ellipses, slightly squashed circles. Planets have nearly circular orbits, while many comets and some asteroids have long, stretched ones that bring them close to the Sun and then far away again.
Orbits matter for meteorites because they tell us where a space rock came from. When a fireball is filmed by several cameras, scientists can work out the meteoroid's orbit before it hit Earth. Most such orbits reach back into the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. That is how we know most meteorites come from asteroids.
Related terms
Level: Beginner Ages 7 and up