Which planet, mars or neptune, has the more elliptical orbit?

The seasons and temperatures on the various planets of our Solar System are influenced by a combination of factors. These factors are listed below:

  1. The distance of the planet from the Sun
    If a planet is close to the Sun (eg. Mercury), the influence of the Sun’s rays will be much greater than on planets far away (eg. Neptune). The Earth is quite close to the Sun, so the Sun has a large influence on temperatures on Earth.
  2. The rotation time of the planet
    Planets that have a long rotation time (eg. Mercury) have a much longer daytime and night-time than planets with a short rotation time (eg. Jupiter). If the Sun is in the sky for a long time, that half of the planet will tend to become much hotter than if the Sun is in the sky for a short time. Similarly, long nights will cause much lower temperatures than short nights, as the half of the planet in darkness will have longer to cool down. The average daytime and night-time on Earth is quite short, so our rotation time has only limited influence on maximum and minimum temperatures.
  3. The composition and density of the planet’s atmosphere
    Planets with dense atmospheres (eg. Venus) will have little variation or changes in temperature, as the atmosphere moderates heat gain and loss. Temperatures on planets with no atmosphere, or a very thin atmosphere (eg. Mercury) are not subject to this moderating influence therefore experience extreme variations in temperatures. The Earth’s atmosphere is of medium density – it filters the Sun’s heat that comes through to the surface during the day and helps to retain heat when the Sun goes down.
  4. The axial tilt of the planet
    If the axis of a planet has a moderate tilt (eg. Earth, Mars), or a large tilt (Uranus, Pluto) there will be a big seasonal variation in the length of day and night, especially at higher latitudes. For planets that are close to the Sun, this will cause a marked seasonal difference between temperatures in the two hemispheres. Earth’s tilt of 23.5 degrees causes locations close to the poles to have around six months of daytime and six months of night-time. When the South Pole is tilted towards the Sun, it is the Southern summer with continuous daylight, and when the South Pole is tilted away from the Sun, it is the southern winter with continuous night time.
  5. The orbital eccentricity of the planet
    The more elliptical the orbit of a planet, the more variation there will tend to be in temperature as the planet revolves around the Sun. When the planet’s orbit takes it nearer the Sun, it will receive more heat than when it is further away. Mercury has a quite elliptical orbit, while Earth’s orbit is almost circular.

Which planet, mars or neptune, has the more elliptical orbit?

Solar System statistics

Seasons on other planets

  • Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. Its climate varies considerably throughout its year because it moves in a highly elliptical path. This means that at times it is much closer to the Sun than at other times. It does not have any atmosphere and has no protection from the Sun. During the day it gets really hot and during the night it gets really cold. Mercury has no tilt, so its seasons are caused by its highly elliptical path around the Sun.
  • Venus is the second closest planet to the Sun. Its orbit does not cause the seasons because it is nearly circular. It has a tilt of only three degrees (in the opposite direction to the other planets) so temperatures across the planet do not vary much throughout a Venus year. The climate on this planet is always hot because it is relatively close to the Sun and has a thick atmosphere that keeps temperatures stable. You could say that Venus hardly has any seasons at all.
  • Earth is the third planet from the Sun. It has a nearly circular orbit so the path around the Sun does not influence seasons on Earth. It has a tilt of 23.5 degrees. The tilt on Earth is enough to influence the seasons. The tilt affects how the sunlight hits the Earth along it’s orbit. During the Southern hemisphere summer, the southern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun so the sunlight hits the Earth more directly and we have hotter, longer days. During the Southern hemisphere winter, the Southern hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun so the sunlight hits the Earth more indirectly and is spread out over a larger space. During winter, we have longer nights and shorter days. (The opposite happens in the Northern hemisphere.) The Earth has four seasons due to its tilt. The Earth has an atmosphere dense enough to keep the temperatures moderate throughout the year. If the Earth had no tilt, it would not have any seasons.
  • Mars is the fourth closest planet to our Sun. This planet can be considered to have only two seasons (summer and winter) that vary greatly in temperature. The planet’s elliptical path and its significant tilt produce the seasons. The fact that Mars has a very thin atmosphere also contributes to the extreme temperature variations.
  • Jupiter has a tilt of only three degrees and has a very thick atmosphere (being one of the gas giants). Its path around the Sun is elliptical, so you might expect the temperature to vary along its orbit. However, it is very far from the Sun, so the temperature change is small. Jupiter is always very cold. The very thick atmosphere keeps the cold temperatures very stable. You could say that Jupiter does not have any seasons.
  • Saturn is one of the gas giants. It has a tilt as well as an elliptical path around the Sun. However, since it is very far away from the Sun, it is always very cold and its thick atmosphere keeps it that way.
  • Uranus has an elliptical orbit but is a long way from the Sun so it experiences extremely cold conditions all year round. It has a very thick atmosphere (being another of the gas giants) and so the temperature remains very cold throughout its year. It has a tilt of about 98 degrees, practically spinning on its side. Its daytime lasts for half of its year and night-time for the other half.
  • Neptune’s orbit is nearly circular, and it has a tilt of about 28 degrees. However, Neptune is far away from the Sun, so temperatures are always extremely cold. Its atmosphere is very thick and keeps the climate icy cold.
  • Pluto (a dwarf planet) is very far from the Sun so temperatures are always extremely cold. Even though its path around the Sun is very elliptical, and its atmosphere is extremely thin, the distance from the Sun makes it extremely cold all the time.

Which planet has the most elliptical orbit?

Within our solar system, Mercury has by far the most elliptical orbit of the 8 planets.

Does Mars have the most elliptical orbit?

Mars' orbit is more elliptical than Earth's, so the difference between perihelion and aphelion is greater. Over the past centuries, Mars' orbit has been getting more and more elongated, carrying the planet even nearer to the sun at perihelion and even farther away at aphelion.

Which orbit is more eccentric Neptune or Mars?

Neptune, Venus, and Earth are the planets in our solar system with the least eccentric orbits. ... Orbital Eccentricity..

Does Neptune have elliptical orbit?

Neptune's elliptical, oval-shaped orbit keeps the planet an average distance from the sun of almost 2.8 billion miles (4.5 billion kilometers), or roughly 30 times as far away as Earth, making it invisible to the naked eye.