Eccentric orbit

Examples

The table lists the values for all planets and dwarf planets, and selected asteroids, comets, and moons. Mercury has the greatest orbital eccentricity of any planet in the Solar System (e = 0.2056), followed by Mars of 0.0934. Such eccentricity is sufficient for Mercury to receive twice as much solar irradiation at perihelion compared to aphelion. Before its demotion from planet status in 2006, Pluto was considered to be the planet with the most eccentric orbit (${\displaystyle e\approx 0.248}$). Other trans-Neptunian objects have significant eccentricity, notably the dwarf planet Eris (with ${\displaystyle e\approx 0.435}$). Even further out, Sedna has an extremely high eccentricity of approximately 0.850 due to its estimated aphelion of 937 AU and perihelion of about 76 AU, possibly under influence of unknown object(s).