Orbital speed facts for kids

The orbital speed of a body, usually a planet, a natural satellite, an artificial satellite, or a multiple star, is the speed at which it orbits around the barycenter of a system, usually around a more massive body. It can be used to refer to either the mean orbital speed, the average speed as it completes an orbit, or instantaneous orbital speed, the speed at a particular point in its orbit.

The orbital speed at any position in the orbit can be computed from the distance to the central body at that position, and the specific orbital energy, which is independent of position: it equals the the kinetic energy plus the potential energy, divided by the mass. It is also given by Kepler's Second Law.

See also

In Spanish: Velocidad orbital para niños