Keplers second law

"jojo" wrote in message ...
so...why isn't the orbit circular instead of elliptic?
Once the planet is close pulled close tot he sun, why doesn't it stay close?
what force (or lack of force) allows it to move away for the sun in an
ellipse?

Momentum. When it's closest to the sun, it's moving too fast for a
circular orbit -- that extra velocity (beyond what's needed for a
circular orbit at that distance) throws it further out.