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Why are the orbits of planets elliptical?
How does the gravitational pull of the sun cause the orbits to be elliptical?
The gravitational force between two objects decreases as the distance between them increases. As a planet moves further away from the sun, the gravitational force it experiences weakens, causing it to slow down. As it moves closer to the sun, the gravitational force increases, causing it to speed up. This change in speed causes the planet's orbit to become elliptical instead of circular.