Do I need to install anything?

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For K-12 Students · Satellite Orbit

Satellite Orbit for a rabbit population

Built for k-12 students learning it in middle or high school. Watch the idea come alive with plain-language steps and everyday examples — perfect for projects and homework. Simulate a rabbit population live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.

Orbital Elements

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Orbital ElementsLive

the shape of an orbit

Controls

Presets

Semi-major axis (km)

Eccentricity

Arg. of periapsis (°)

Speed1×

An orbit's size and shape come from two numbers: the semi-major axis sets the period (and average altitude), and the eccentricity sets how elongated the ellipse is. Earth sits at one focus, so the satellite races through its low perigee and crawls at its high apogee — Kepler's second law in motion. The argument of periapsis rotates the ellipse.

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Data Inspector

Period166 min

Apogee alt.7629 km

Perigee alt.-371 km

Eccentricity0.40

Governing equation

r = \frac{a ( 1 - e ^{2} )}{1 + e cos ν} = \frac{10000 ( 1 - 0.4 0 ^{2} )}{1 + 0.40 cos ν} km

Reading this result: Moderate eccentricity stretches the ellipse; the 166 min period is fixed by the semi-major axis alone, independent of how elongated the shape is.

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Kepler

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Kepler Orbit StudioLive

two-body gravity · conic-section orbits

Controls

Speed1×

Set the eccentricity to trace Kepler's orbits — a circle, ellipse, or (past e=1) an escape hyperbola. The star sits at the focus. Drag the planet on the canvas to reposition its starting point and reshape the orbit.

Presets

Eccentricity e

Semi-major axis

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Eccentricity0.60

Orbitelliptical

LawKepler / 1-r²

Governing equation

r = \frac{a ( 1 - e ^{2} )}{1 + e cos θ} = \frac{140 ( 1 - 0.6 0 ^{2} )}{1 + 0.60 cos θ}

Reading this result: At e=0.60 the orbit is an ellipse with the star at one focus. The planet sweeps equal areas in equal times, so it runs fastest at perihelion and slowest at aphelion. A higher e means a more elongated ellipse. The period grows as a^(3/2) (Kepler's third law), so a=140 sets the year length.

Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.

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Frequently asked questions

Is this good for k-12 students?: Yes — this version of "Satellite Orbit for a rabbit population" is framed for k-12 students learning it in middle or high school. Watch the idea come alive with plain-language steps and everyday examples — perfect for projects and homework.
Do I need to install anything?: No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.