<p>I am a college astronomy student and I have to find the velocity of Pluto at aphelion and perihelion. I have found the distance of perihelion to be $1.96\times10^9$ km. Aphelion has a distance of $3.27\times 10^9$ km. 
It is given that Pluto's "minimum orbital velocity is 3.27 km/sec". Which I think means the velocity of Pluto at aphelion is 3.27 km/sec. But then how do I find the velocity at perihelion? </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-21T17:23:38.193Z
Have you considered using the conservation of energy principle?
Mick
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-21T18:04:19.807Z
Nope. This is only my second week in this astronomy class, so we have not covered that yet.
Cerenkov
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-21T18:20:50.830Z
Did you study physics at school? Potential energy and kinetic energy?
Mick
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-21T18:43:19.410Z
The thing you need to apply is [Kepler's Second Law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler%27s_laws_of_planetary_motion#Second_law_of_Kepler) which I'm leaving as an exercise as this sounds like homework.
StephenG - Help Ukraine
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-21T19:53:10.947Z
What have you covered? There's a lot of ways to answer this question, but clearly some are more advanced than others. The best way to help you is to learn how you're meant to solve this question.
zephyr
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-24T15:06:19.803Z
Aphelion and perihelion distances are wrong.  Perihelion is about 4.4e9 km and aphelion is about 7.4e9 km.  https://theskylive.com/pluto-info
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-25T13:04:45.737Z
As @StephenG pointed out.   Kepler's 2nd law for velocity at a point is a very simple calculation.    Just law of areas.
userLTK
<pluto><velocity>
How do I determine the velocity of Pluto at aphelion and perihelion?
Cerenkov
# How do I determine the velocity of Pluto at aphelion and perihelion?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-01-21)

I am a college astronomy student and I have to find the velocity of Pluto at aphelion and perihelion. I have found the distance of perihelion to be $1.96\times10^9$ km. Aphelion has a distance of $3.27\times 10^9$ km.
It is given that Pluto's "minimum orbital velocity is 3.27 km/sec". Which I think means the velocity of Pluto at aphelion is 3.27 km/sec. But then how do I find the velocity at perihelion?

**Tags:** pluto, velocity

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Have you considered using the conservation of energy principle?  
> **username_0**: Nope. This is only my second week in this astronomy class, so we have not covered that yet.  
> **username_1**: Did you study physics at school? Potential energy and kinetic energy?  
> **username_2**: The thing you need to apply is [Kepler's Second Law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler%27s_laws_of_planetary_motion#Second_law_of_Kepler) which I'm leaving as an exercise as this sounds like homework.  
> **username_3**: What have you covered? There's a lot of ways to answer this question, but clearly some are more advanced than others. The best way to help you is to learn how you're meant to solve this question.  
> **username_4**: Aphelion and perihelion distances are wrong.  Perihelion is about 4.4e9 km and aphelion is about 7.4e9 km.  https://theskylive.com/pluto-info  
> **username_5**: As @StephenG pointed out.   Kepler's 2nd law for velocity at a point is a very simple calculation.    Just law of areas.  

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