pericenter
Closest approach point
Pericenter is the point in an orbit where the orbiting body comes closest to the object it's circling.
The term is general-purpose; more specific variants exist for particular bodies: perigee for Earth, perihelion for the Sun, perilune for the Moon.
The comet reaches pericenter next week, when it will be most visible.
The opposite point, where the orbiting body is farthest away, is called the apocenter.
Curved celestial path
- planetStar-orbiting spherical body
- satelliteOrbiting celestial body
- moonNatural planetary satellite
- cometIcy orbiting body
asteroid · spacecraft · heliocentric · geocentric · barycenter · celestial · conjunction · opposition
Orbital point most remote
- apogeeHighest orbital point
- aphelionFarthest point from sun
- orbitalRevolving around another
- ellipseConic section curve
elliptical · eccentricity · focus · foci · trajectory · revolution · period · transit
Directed rate of motion
- accelerationRate velocity changes
- momentumProduct of mass, velocity
- perturbationState of being unsettled
- gravitationalRelating to mass-based attraction
mass · trajectory · energy · delta-v · slingshot · gravity-assist · precession · stability
orbit
Curved celestial path
comet · asteroid · spacecraft · heliocentric · geocentric · barycenter · celestial · conjunction · opposition · flyby
apocenter
Orbital point most remote
ellipse · elliptical · eccentricity · focus · foci · trajectory · revolution · period · transit · syzygy
velocity
Directed rate of motion
- accelerationRate velocity changes
- momentumProduct of mass, velocity
- perturbationState of being unsettled
gravitational · mass · trajectory · energy · delta-v · slingshot · gravity-assist · precession · stability · resonance
center, peripheral, peripatetic, perigee, pericarp, perihelion, pericardium, pericarditis