Halley's comet has an elliptical orbit around the Sun with a period of 76.0 years. At its closest approach (perihelion) it is 8.82 × 10¹⁰ m from the Sun and has a speed of 54.6 km/s. How fast is it moving at its furthest point from the Sun (aphelion)? The mass of the Sun is 2.00 × 10³⁰ kg and G = 6.67 x 10^-11 N·m²/kg². A) 604 m/s B) 802 m/s C) 1070 m/s D) 1540 m/s E) 1860 m/s

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Using the conservation of angular momentum, L = mvr, where m is the mass, v is the velocity, and r is the distance from the Sun, we can equate the angular momentum at perihelion and aphelion: m * 54.6 * 10^3 m/s * 8.82 * 10^10 m = m * v_aphelion * r_aphelion. Solving for v_aphelion gives approximately 802 m/s.

Halley's Comet Has an Elliptical Orbit Around the Sun with a Period