apoapsis

noun/æpoʊˈæpsɪs/

Frequency rank: #19,987 most common English word

Meaning

The point in an orbit where an orbiting body is at its greatest distance from the body it orbits.

Illustration for the English word “apoapsis”

Example sentence

The spacecraft reached its apoapsis when it was farthest from the planet in its elliptical orbit.

Synonyms & related words

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