circular orbit

A circular orbit in astronomy describes the idealized, uniform path of a celestial body, like a planet, around a central object, such as the Sun. While real orbits, like Earth's around the Sun, are not perfectly circular but are elliptical, the circular model is a useful approximation.12

In a circular orbit, the object experiences a constant inward acceleration called centripetal acceleration. This acceleration is caused by a force, typically gravity, pulling the object towards the center of its orbit. Without this force, the object would continue in a straight line due to inertia, according to Newton's first law. The gravitational force between two bodies, like the Sun and Earth, is determined by their masses and the distance between them.1