According to Kepler's First Law, how do planets move around the sun?

Kepler's First Law states that planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at one of the two foci of the ellipse. This concept fundamentally changed the understanding of celestial motion in the 17th century, moving away from the idea of circular orbits that had dominated previous theories.

In an ellipse, the distance between a planet and the Sun varies as the planet moves along its orbit. This means that a planet will be closer to the Sun at certain points in its orbit (perihelion) and farther away at others (aphelion). The elliptical shape of orbits explains many observed phenomena, such as the varying speed of a planet as it travels around the Sun—according to Kepler's Second Law, it moves faster when closer to the Sun and slower when farther away.

This law set the foundation for our understanding of how gravitational forces operate in our solar system and has significant implications in astrophysics and orbital mechanics. By recognizing that orbits are not perfect circles, but instead ellipses, we gain a clearer picture of the dynamic behavior of celestial bodies in relation to one another.