Trajectory class · e ≳ 1

Hyperbolic Orbit (Solar-System Origin)

An orbit with eccentricity just above 1, produced when a Solar-System comet is perturbed by a planet (usually Jupiter) onto an escape trajectory. The object is leaving the Solar System, but it formed here — the small excess over e = 1 is a slingshot effect, not evidence of an interstellar origin.

Definition

Eccentricity slightly above 1 from planetary perturbation — an ejected Solar-System body.

The eccentricity ladder

Orbits run from bound and elliptical, through the parabolic boundary, to the strongly hyperbolic trajectories of interstellar objects.

Interstellar Hyperbolic Trajectory →

Objects on this trajectory

C/1980 E1 (Bowell)
Weakly hyperbolic (e ≈ 1.06) after a Jupiter encounter
Hyperbolic (Solar-System origin)

Sources

Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.

NASA JPLJet Propulsion Laboratory / Solar System Dynamics
Orbital data, ephemerides, and small-body parameters for planets, asteroids, and comets.
NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.

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