What is Orbital speed?
The '''orbital speed''' of a body, usually a [[planet]], a [[natural satellite]], an [[Satellite (artificial)|artificial satellite]], or a [[multiple star]], is the speed at which it [[orbit]]s around the [[barycenter]] of a system, usually around a more [[mass]]ive body. It can be used to refer to either the mean orbital speed, the average speed as it completes an orbit, or instantaneous orbital speed, the speed at a particular point in its orbit. The orbital speed at any position in the orbit can be computed from the distance to the central body at that position, and the [[specific orbital energy]], which is independent of position: it equals the [[kinetic energy]] plus the [[potential energy]], divided by the mass. It is also given by [[Kepler's Laws|Kepler's Second Law]]. {{Sci-stub}} [[Category:Orbits]]