The period of revolution around the Sun of one of the largest bodies of the main asteroid belt – Vesta – is 3.6 years.
September 16, 2020 | Education
| The period of revolution around the Sun of one of the largest bodies of the main asteroid belt – Vesta – is 3.6 years. How many times is the average distance from Vesta to the Sun greater than the average distance from the Sun to the Earth?
Kepler’s third law
(T1 / T2) ^ 2 = (a1 / a2) ^ 3
Substitute T1 = 1 year and a1 = 1 astronomical unit:
(1 / 3.6) ^ 2 = (1 / a2) ^ 3
a2 = 3.6 ^ (2/3) = 2.35 a.u.
Answer: 2.35 times
