Definición y significado de apogee

Apogee is the point in an Orbit most distant from the body being orbited. With reference to the Earth it is the point in the orbit of a heavenly body especially the Moon, or of a man-made Satellite at which it is farthest or most distant from the center of the Earth. It is also used to refer to the the farthest or highest point, the apex or the climax. Perigee is the opposite of Appogee. Perigee is the point in the orbit of the Moon or of a man-made Satellite at which it is nearest to the Earth.

The word Apogee comes from the Greek prefix apo- meaning away and the word gaia meaning earth. Apogee is a French derivation of the Latin term Apogaeum from the Ptolemaic Greek Apogaion.

The Apsis is a generic term used to describe the point at which an orbiting body is furthest from or closest to its orbital center. The specific generic term for the furthest point is Apoapsis, and the term for the nearest point is the Periapsis. For objects orbiting the Sun, the term Aphelion is used to describe the furthest point, while Perihelion describes the nearest.

When a body is at Apogee, it is also at its minimal orbital velocity. As the object goes away from the center of orbit, its velocity slows until it reaches Apogee and reverses its course. At Apogee, its Kinetic Energy is at its minimal point and its Potential Energy is at its maximum. Conversely, when an object is at Perigee it has its greatest Kinetic Energy and least Potential Energy, and is at its peak Velocity.