Box orbit

Okay kiddo, so imagine a ball rolling around in a box. The ball moves in a very specific way where it bounces back and forth between the walls of the box as it rolls. This is kind of like what happens in a box orbit.


In space, some objects like planets and satellites move around in a box orbit around another object, like a star. Instead of bouncing off walls like the ball, these objects follow a specific path around the star that makes their orbit look like a box.


This happens because of the way gravity works. The star pulls on the planet or satellite, but it also moves in a certain direction because of its own momentum. So instead of just following a circular path, it moves a little sideways each time it completes a loop around the star. This creates the box-shaped orbit.


The box orbit is actually a very cool thing to see, but it's not very common. Only a few objects in our solar system move this way, so it's pretty special when we get to witness it.