apoapsis

American  

[ap-oh-ap-sis] / ˌæp oʊˈæp sɪs /

noun

plural

apoapses, apoapsides

1. Astronomy. (in technical usage) the preferred term for apocenter.

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apoapsis Scientific  

/ ăp′ō-ăp′sĭs /

plural

apoapsides

1. The point at which an orbiting object is farthest away from the body it is orbiting. This point is sometimes given a name that is specific to the body being orbited. For example, the apoapsis of an object orbiting Earth is its apogee (from gaia, the Greek word for Earth), and the apoapsis of an object orbiting the Sun is its aphelion (from hēlios, the Greek word for Sun). According to Kepler's laws of planetary motion, an object is at its lowest velocity at the apoapsis.

2. Compare periapsis

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Example Sentences

In an elliptical orbit, the periapsis is the point at which the two objects are closest, and the apoapsis is the point at which they are farthest apart.

From Textbooks • Feb. 13, 2015

Generally, the velocity of the orbiting body tends to increase as it approaches the periapsis and decrease as it approaches the apoapsis.

From Textbooks • Feb. 13, 2015