Kepler's Third Law for Orbits Around the Sun Is A³

Kepler's third law for orbits around the Sun is a³ = P² where the semimajor axis is in au, and the period P is in years. For objects in orbit around Jupiter, one must use a³ = 0.001 P² because the mass of Jupiter in solar masses is approximately 0.001. The period for Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 in its orbit around Jupiter was about 2 years. What was its maximum distance from Jupiter in this orbit (in u) ?

A) 0.05
B) 0.16
C) 0.32
D) 0.48

Correct Answer:

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