Kepler's First Law of Planetary Motion

The video tutorial explores the historical transition from the geocentric model, where Earth is the center of the solar system, to the heliocentric model proposed by Copernicus, placing the sun at the center. It highlights the contributions of Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler, focusing on Kepler's first law of planetary motion, which states that planets move in elliptical orbits with the sun at one focus. The tutorial explains how to draw an ellipse and discusses its mathematical properties, including the concepts of major and minor axes, and eccentricity. The eccentricity of planetary orbits is examined, with a specific focus on Mercury's orbit.

Explain Kepler's first law of planetary motion.

What is the significance of the eccentricity of an ellipse?

How does the eccentricity of Mercury compare to that of a circle?