What determines the orbital period of planets?

Factual Questions
21

[QUOTE=psychonaut]
Likewise, if the Earth suddenly doubled (or halved) in mass, would its orbital path and/or the length of the sidereal year be affected at all?
[/QUOTE]

Whatever the result, it wouldn’t bode well.

22

[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers]
Whatever the result, it wouldn’t bode well.
[/QUOTE]
That’s sinking pretty low.

23

[QUOTE=psychonaut]
if the Earth suddenly doubled (or halved) in mass, would its orbital path and/or the length of the sidereal year be affected at all?
[/QUOTE]

No. The orbital period of a planet doesn’t depend on the mass of the planet (assuming the mass of the planet is much less than the mass of the star, as is the case with the Earth and Sun).

I thought about this when I was watching the re-issued Star Wars (I was also taking a celestial mechanics class at the time).

24

[QUOTE=David Simmons]
That’s sinking pretty low.
[/QUOTE]

Oh, I can get way lower that that.

25

[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers]
Oh, I can get way lower that that.
[/QUOTE]
Quoting Elaine when talking to Jerry, “Just when I think you’ve reached absolute bottom, you manage to drain a little more out of the tank.”