If a New Comet Were Discovered with an Eccentricity of

Multiple Choice

If a new comet were discovered with an eccentricity of and whose length of the major axis of orbit is approximately 6.46 astronomical units, how close would the comet come to the sun (perihelion distance) ? The perihelion distance is defined by the equation . Round answer to three decimal places, if necessary.

A) approximately 2.778 astronomical units
B) approximately 1.389 astronomical units
C) approximately 3.682 astronomical units
D) approximately 1.841 astronomical units
E) approximately 1.14 astronomical units