Kepler's first law states that the orbit of each planet is an ellipse with the sun at one focus. which of the following statements describe a characteristic of the solar system that is explained by kepler's first law? check all that apply. view available hint(s) check all that apply. all the planets orbit the sun in nearly the same plane. inner planets orbit the sun at higher speed than outer planets. the sun is located slightly off-center from the middle of each planet's orbit. pluto moves faster when it is closer to the sun than when it is farther from the sun. earth is slightly closer to the sun on one side of its orbit than on the other side. venus orbits the sun faster than earth orbits the sun.