What is the gravitationally curved trajectory of an object in space called?

• A. Orbit
• B. Trajectory
• C. Path
• D. Rotation

Answer: (A)

When gravity shapes the motion of a body in space into a curved path around another body, that path is called an orbit. An orbit is the gravitationally bound trajectory of an object as it moves around a central body like a planet or star, and it can be circular or elliptical (and can also take parabolic or hyperbolic shapes if the object isn’t bound). Trajectory is a more general term for any path an object follows, not necessarily due to gravity around another body, while a path is even more generic and rotation describes spinning around an axis. So the gravitationally curved path around a body is specifically an orbit.