Stable and Unstable Orbits

Stable orbits are those in which an object, like a planet, remains in a predictable path around a larger body, such as a star, even if perturbed slightly. Imagine a marble in a bowl that returns to the bottom when pushed. Unstable orbits, however, are like a marble on a flat surface; even a small nudge can send it rolling away. In unstable orbits, slight disturbances can lead to significant changes, potentially ejecting the object from its orbit. Understanding these concepts helps us grasp celestial dynamics and the long-term behavior of planetary systems.