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How do you calculate the orbital period of the Hubble telescope?

User Dandu
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Final answer:

The orbital period of the Hubble Space Telescope can be calculated using Kepler's third law of planetary motion or more directly for near-Earth objects with the circular orbital velocity formula and the Earth's physical characteristics.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the orbital period of the Hubble Space Telescope, or any celestial body orbiting the Earth, you can apply Kepler's third law of planetary motion. This law states that the orbital period (P) squared is proportional to the semi-major axis of its orbit (a) cubed: P^2 = a^3. The semi-major axis is the average distance from the center of the Earth to the satellite. However, to calculate the orbital period more directly for near-Earth objects like the Hubble Telescope, you can use the simplification of the circular orbital velocity formula: Vorbit = √(G⋅M₀/r), where G is the gravitational constant, M₀ is the mass of the Earth, and r is the radius of the orbit. Once the orbital velocity (Vorbit) is known, the period (T) can be found from T = 2πr/Vorbit.

User Krut
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