The moon's orbit around Earth is elliptical in shape.
1. an ellipse that is almost circular
2. a spiral
3. an ellipse that is elongated
4. a circle
An ellipse that is elongated.
The moon's orbit around Earth is an elongated ellipse.
The correct answer is 3. an ellipse that is elongated.
To understand this, we need to know what an ellipse is. An ellipse is a geometric shape that looks like a stretched-out circle. It is defined by having two foci (plural of focus) and a major and minor axis.
In the case of the Moon's orbit around Earth, the shape is an elongated ellipse. This means that the orbit is not a perfect circle but a stretched-out shape. The center of the Earth is located at one of the foci of the ellipse, and the Moon moves around in an elliptical path with Earth at one of the foci.
The elongation of the ellipse means that at certain points in its orbit, the Moon is closer to Earth (perigee) and at other points, it is farther away (apogee). This leads to variations in the Moon's distance from Earth throughout its orbit.
So, to answer the question, the Moon's orbit around Earth is an elliptical shape that is elongated.