For bodies orbiting the same dominant central mass, Kepler’s third law connects period with orbital size. This activity demonstrates the timing comparison without pretending its drawn radii are a distance scale. The shared clock is in Earth days, and playback compresses time without changing the period ratios.
Space · Discover & try
Why do different planets have different years?
Reading level 5 of 5 · AdvancedChange
Word help
Orbital period
The time required for one complete orbit.
Rotation
Turning around an axis, distinct from orbiting another body.
Earth day
The common time unit used in this comparison.
Watch · Try · Explain
See how it works
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Published periods with circular, constant-speed timing paths; drawn orbital radii are not a distance scale.
What to look for
- Use one elapsed-time clock for both planets.
- Count whole completed orbits.
- Distinguish orbit radius in the drawing from real distance.
Explain what you noticed
A hypothetical planet takes 500 Earth days to orbit its star. After 1,000 Earth days, how many years have passed on that planet?
Keep this idea: A year is one orbit around the Sun, not one daily rotation.
Follow the sources
Source material checked 2026-10-28. Explanations and activities by Nepedia. Source links do not imply endorsement.
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