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At which point in its orbit is a planet traveling fastest?
- A Apoapsis
- B Neither
- C Periapsis
- D Both equally
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According to Kepler's second law, a planet or any object in an elliptic orbit will travel fastest when it is closest to the object it orbits, known as the periapsis. This is because the gravitational pull is strongest at this closest approach, increasing the object's velocity due to the conservation of angular momentum. This principle explains why orbital speed is not constant but varies depending on the object's position along its elliptical path.