What is Heliocentric Orbit?

The Solar System consists of the eight planets that orbit our Sun and other celestial bodies such as moons, comets, asteroids, minor planets, and dust and gas. The Sun is considered as the centre of the solar system and all the planets revolve around the sun. The celestial bodies of the Solar system are revolving around the sun in a definite path which is either elliptical or circular.

What is heliocentric orbit?

The term ‘Heliocentric’ is a combination two terms- Helios, which were derived from the Greek mythology ‘Helios’ which means ‘Sun’ and ‘Centric’ which means having or situated at or near a centre.

A heliocentric orbit is a path around the barycentre (centre of mass of two or more bodies that orbit one another and is the point about which the bodies orbit) of the Solar System, which is usually located within or very near the surface of the Sun.

This orbit is under the centric classifications of gravitationally path followed by an object moving through space. In Solar System, all the celestial bodies except moons of the planets like planets, comets, and asteroids follow the heliocentric orbit. The moons of the planet or the natural satellites do not follow the heliocentric orbit because they revolve around their respective planets.

Top 10 Most Dangerous Asteroids

What is Heliocentric System?

The Heliocentric System is a cosmological model which states that the location of the Sun is near central point and celestial bodies like planets, comets, and asteroids revolve around it.

The first cosmological model of Heliocentric System was proposed by the Aristarchus of Samos in 3^rd century BC and said that the Earth is moving around the Sun but did not explained the reason for the static position of the stars.

Nicolaus Copernicus in the 16^th century proposed a geometric mathematical model to explain the heliocentric system. His postulate was popularly known as Copernican Revolution. This model was got maximum traction after the support of Galileo Galilei when he confirmed with observation from telescope. The astronomers like William Herschel and Friedrich Bessel made observations that the sun was not at the centre of the universe, but close to the Solar System’s barycenter.

Top 10 Known Largest Exoplanets in the Universe

Centric Classification

The orbits under centric classification are divided into five major orbits which are given below:

1. Galactocentric orbit: It is an orbit about the centre of a galaxy. The Sun follows this type of orbit about the galactic centre of the Milky Way.

2. Heliocentric orbit: It is an orbit around the Sun. In the Solar System, all planets, comets, and asteroids are in such orbits, as are many artificial satellites and pieces of space debris. Moons by contrast are not in a heliocentric orbit but rather orbit their parent object.

3. Geocentric orbit: It is an orbit which is followed by the moons of the planets.

4. Lunar orbit: It is also called as selenocentric orbit. It is an orbit around the Earth's moon.

5. Areocentric orbit: It is an orbit around the planet Mars, such as that of its moons or artificial satellites.

Other orbits under this classification are the jovicentric, aphrodiocentric, and kronocentric, which are orbits around the planets Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn respectively.

List of Known Galaxies in the Universe

Artificial Objects in Heliocentric orbit

The 21^st century technologies change the old phrase of “Sky is the limit” and transform it into “Space is the limit” and let’s see what will add in upcoming centuries.  Luna was the first spacecraft, which was sent in a heliocentric orbit in 1959.

United States of America, the Russian Federation, Japan, and China have send satellites in heliocentric orbits for various purposes such as exploration of the moon, sun, and other planets. Now, there are 22 nations has reached the heliocentric orbit.

What is a Solar Flare?