Astronomical Algorithms Tonight's night sky · animate time with Play
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PLANETS DISTANCES (MKm)
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Sidereal Period

Orbital period relative to the fixed stars — one complete revolution.

Definition

The sidereal period (or sidereal year for Earth) is the time for a body to complete one full revolution around the Sun as measured against the distant stars. Earth's sidereal year is about 365.256 days.

Kepler's third law

For planets, the sidereal period P (in years) and semi-major axis a (in AU) satisfy P² = a³. This links orbital size and speed across the solar system.

3D illustration

One full orbit relative to the background stars defines the sidereal period.

Use the menu and time controls to explore. Based on Jean Meeus' Astronomical Algorithms.