Orbital path

An orbital path is the curved trajectory an object follows around a larger body, like a planet around the Sun or a satellite around Earth. This path results from the balance between the object’s forward motion and gravitational pull, creating a stable, usually circular or elliptical, route. Imagine throwing a ball that keeps falling toward the ground but also moving forward fast enough to keep missing it—that's similar to how orbits work in space. In essence, an orbit is a continuous free-fall movement where gravity keeps the object circling rather than crashing inward or drifting away.