Ellipticity (Noun)
Meaning
The property possessed by a round shape that is flattened at the poles; "the oblateness of the planet".
Classification
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects.
Examples
- The Earth's slightly ellipsoidal shape results in an ellipticity of about 0.00335, which is the ratio of the equatorial radius to the polar radius.
- The ellipticity of the planet's orbit affects the amount of solar energy it receives throughout the year.
- The team of astronomers studied the ellipticity of the galaxy's disk to better understand its evolution and structure.
- The ellipticity of the Earth's core is slightly different from that of the mantle, which affects the planet's magnetic field.
- The ellipticity of the orbit of the exoplanet was used to determine its mass and orbital period.