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| q |
Today’s eccentricity is 0.0167, lies well toward the
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lower end of the variation range of Earth’s
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eccentricity (closer to circular).
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| q |
The long-term variations in orbital eccentricity are
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concentrated at two periods: 100,000 years and
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413,000 years.
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| q |
The eccentricity variations differ from the other
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two orbital variations (obliquity variations and the
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precessional variations) in one important aspect:
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Eccentricity variations cause changes in the
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annually averaged amount of sunlight hitting Earth.
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