Final answer:
Kepler's Second Law, also known as the Law of Equal Areas, states that the line joining a planet and the Sun sweeps out equal areas in equal intervals of time, illustrating the constant areal velocity and conservation of angular momentum in planetary orbits.
Step-by-step explanation:
Kepler's Second Law, often referred to as the Law of Equal Areas, states that the line joining a planet and the Sun sweeps out equal areas in space in equal intervals of time. This implies that the planet's orbital speed varies; it moves faster when it is closer to the Sun and slower when it is further from the Sun. The law affirms a constant areal velocity throughout the orbital path, which is typically elliptical, with the Sun located at one of the foci of the ellipse. This illustrates the conservation of angular momentum in the motion of the planets around the Sun.
The commonly cited alternatives in relation to Kepler's laws are incorrect as they describe other concepts: The second option provided is actually Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, while the third option pertains to Kepler's Third Law of Planetary Motion, and the fourth option is a general principle of the conservation of energy.
Understanding Kepler's laws is fundamental to the study of celestial mechanics and the movements of planets and other astronomical objects within our solar system and beyond.