An orbit is the curved path an object takes as it travels around another object in space, pulled by gravity. The Earth orbits the Sun once every 365 days, which gives us our year. The Moon orbits Earth about once every month. Satellites that help with GPS, weather forecasting, and communications orbit Earth too, some taking just 90 minutes to circle the planet.

Think of gravity like an invisible rope connecting two objects in space. The smaller object wants to fly off in a straight line, but gravity keeps pulling it inward, creating a curved path. It's similar to swinging a ball on a string: the string pulls the ball toward your hand while the ball's momentum carries it forward, creating a circle.

Most orbits aren't perfect circles. They're usually ellipses (stretched circles), meaning sometimes the orbiting object is closer and sometimes farther away. When Earth is closest to the Sun in its orbit, it's about 91 million miles away. At its farthest point, it's about 94 million miles away.

As a verb, orbit means to travel around something in this way: the Moon orbits Earth.

You might also hear orbit used more casually to describe someone's sphere of influence or the people around them. If someone important enters your orbit, they've come into your life or awareness. A famous scientist might have brilliant students in her orbit, meaning they work closely with her and benefit from her knowledge.