perigee n : periapsis in Earth orbit; the point in its orbit where a satellite is nearest to the Earth [ant: apogee]

English

Noun

1. That point in the orbit of any object which is at the smallest distance from the center of the central body. For example, the point in the moon's orbit which is the smallest distance from the center of the earth.

Translations

• German: Perigäum

Related terms

• apogee
• perihelion

This is about the orbital parameter. For the quarterly publication, see Perigee: Publication for the Arts.

Perigee is the point at which an object in orbit around the Earth – either the Moon or a spacecraft, satellite, or other body – makes its closest approach to the Earth. Often the term is used in a broader sense to define the point in an orbit where the orbiting body is closest to the body it orbits.

The Greek prefix "peri" means close or near. The suffix "gee", derived from Gaea, means Earth.

Perigee is part of the broader family of apses, astronomical terms which denote distances of orbiting bodies. Since all orbits are elliptical, each orbit contains both a nearest point and a farthest point.

See also

• Apsis
• Eccentric anomaly
• Elliptic orbit

External links

• Apogee - Perigee Photographic Size Comparison

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