Average distance an orbiting body has from its main body.
Found on
http://planetfacts.org/space-terms/
(from the article `comet`) ...of the total energies of cometary orbits ( for discussion of total energy in Types of orbits). These energies are in proportion to 1, with being ... An ellipsoid of revolution is specified by two parameters: a semimajor axis (equatorial radius for the Earth) and a semiminor axis (polar radius), or ... ....
Found on
http://www.britannica.com/eb/a-z/s/63
The semimajor axis of an ellipse (e.g. a planetary orbit) is 1/2 the length of the major axis which is a segment of a line passing thru the foci of the ellipse with endpoints on the ellipse itself. The semimajor axis of a planetary orbit is also the average distance from the planet to its primary. The periapsis and apoapsis distances can be calcula...
Found on
http://www.encyclo.co.uk/local/20040
Abbreviation a, half the length of the major axis of an ellipse, a standard element used to describe an elliptical orbit.
Found on
http://www.imo.net/glossary
One-half of the longest dimension of an ellipse.
Found on
http://www.solarviews.com/eng/terms.htm
[
n] - one-half the major axis of an ellipse
Found on
http://www.webdictionary.co.uk/definition.php?query=semimajor%20axis
noun one-half the major axis of an ellipse; the distance from the center of an ellipse to one end
Found on
https://www.encyclo.co.uk/local/20974
No exact match found.
