What does a lower eccentricity value indicate about an orbit?

A lower eccentricity value indicates that an orbit is more circular. In orbital mechanics, the eccentricity is a measure of how much an orbit deviates from being a perfect circle. The value of eccentricity ranges from 0 to 1, where an eccentricity of 0 represents a circular orbit, and values closer to 1 represent highly elliptical orbits.

Thus, when the eccentricity is low, it signifies that the path of the orbiting body is close to a circle, rather than elongated or distorted, as indicated by higher values of eccentricity. This concept is fundamental in understanding the shapes of planetary orbits and how they affect the motion of celestial bodies.