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A conic section with a focus of a conic at the origin has the polar coordinates equation $r=\ell /(1+e\cos \theta )$, where $\ell >0$ is the semilatus rectum and $e\ge 0$ the eccentricity. The directrix of a conic definition $r=e(d-r\cos \theta )$ gives the formula with $\ell =ed$ when $e>0$; $e=0$ is the circle limit. The cases $0<e<1$, $e=1$, and $e>1$ give an ellipse, parabola, and hyperbola. The physical radius requires a positive denominator. For an attractive inverse-square central force, the Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector gives $\ell =m{h}^2/k$ and $e=A/(mk)$.

The distance from a focus to a conic section along a line perpendicular to its symmetry axis. In focus-centred polar coordinates, an ellipse may be written $r(1-e\cos \theta )=\ell$, where $e$ is its eccentricity of a conic.

The distance from a focus of a conic section to the curve measured perpendicular to its principal axis. In the focus-based polar coordinates equation $r=p/(1+e\cos \varphi )$ it is the length $p$, where $e$ is the eccentricity. For an ellipse, $p=a(1-e^2)=b^2/a$. For a Newtonian Kepler orbit, $p=j^2/(GM)$ with $j$ the specific angular momentum.

The semi-major and semi-minor axes are the larger and smaller half-axis lengths of an ellipse. In principal-axis coordinates the ellipse has equation $x^2/a^2+y^2/b^2=1$ with $a\ge b>0$. The same terminology is used for a hyperbola $x^2/a^2-y^2/b^2=1$, where $a$ is half its transverse axis and $b$ half its conjugate axis. Orbital semiaxes apply these geometric quantities to conic sections.