How do I work out the distance Venus travels in one orbit mathematically? I know the parametric equations for its ellipse but I need to work out the total distance travelled in its orbital period.
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5So, in other words, you want to calculate the perimeter of the ellipse, right? – Matti P. Aug 22 '19 at 08:06
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Yes, do you know how to do that? – Nell Aug 22 '19 at 08:48
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1The Wikipedia page on ellipses has a section on this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellipse#Circumference. TLDR: It's a bit tricky to calculate. – Matti P. Aug 22 '19 at 09:05