Indeed, the general shape of an orbit is elliptic.

Projectile C achieves a circular orbit, D an elliptical one.

Projectile C achieves a circular orbit, D an elliptical one.

An elliptical satellite system which carries out communication.

A satellite is injected into an elliptical orbit...

(A circular orbit is simply a special case of an elliptical orbit.)

Johannes Kepler suggests that Mars has an elliptical orbit.

It goes up and delivers the capsule into an elliptical orbit.

without finally realizing how Mars is really working in this elliptical orbit.

Some comets move in an elongated elliptical orbit, reappearing periodically.

Kepler discovered that the planets followed elliptical orbits.

Figure 5: Gradually precessing elliptical orbit, with an eccentricity e = 0.667.

Some comets orbit in an ellipse and return at regular intervals.

Any rigid object in space can be defined by 6 parameters.

Just as every planet revolves around the sun in an elliptical orbit, so every Milky Way satellite revolves around the galactic center in an elliptical orbit.