Just a little question on orbits.

  • Thread starter Delzac
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In summary, the planets in our solar system orbit in the same plane due to the initial conditions of the rotating disk of dust and gas from which they formed. It is theoretically possible for planets to have orbits in different planes, but it is unstable and rare to see. Occasionally, a planet may be knocked out of its orbit by another object, resulting in an eccentric orbit. The structure of an atom, with electrons orbiting in different planes, is not an accurate representation of planetary orbits.
  • #1
Delzac
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Hi all,

Why is it that the planets in our solar system seem to orbit relatively in the same plane? ( or is it a misconception ?)

Why can't our planets orbit like this :

http://www.steve.gb.com/images/science/planetary.png" [Broken]

Thx.
 
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  • #2
Because of the initial conditions under which the solar system was formed. The planets accreted from a rotating disk of dust and gas. This is also why they all orbit in the same direction.
 
  • #3
So it is not possible to have planets orbiting in such a fashion as shown in the picture i linked?
 
  • #4
Delzac said:
So it is not possible to have planets orbiting in such a fashion as shown in the picture i linked?

I cannot access the picture you've linked to, so I can't see it.

Nonetheless:

It IS theoretically possible, it just doesn't happen very much, and is unstable, so doesn't last very long, so even more rare to see.

Thing is, the system still starts off as a disc. It can't start off with planets going every which way - for several reasons. One: if an object were way off in a polar orbit it, could never accrete mass - it would never grow. Two: these orbits are very unstable. The overwhelming mass from the accretion disc will either draw it into the plane or will cause it to plunge into the star.

What can happen though is, a planet can get knocked out of its orbit by another object - either a close pass or collision, and finds itself in an eccentric orbit. Pluto is 17 degrees off the orbital plane.

But you won't get a system with full-sized planets orbiting in multiple planes in the same system, no.
 
  • #5
hmm... thanks for the help
 
  • #6
I'd still like to see that pic if you get it working.
 
  • #7
i don't have a problem accessing the picture actually. Anyway it is just a structure of an atom. (the conventional one, with electrons orbiting in dif. planes. Trying the illustrate my point with the structure of an atom.)
 
  • #8
Delzac said:
i don't have a problem accessing the picture actually.

The error message is 403 (Forbidden), so since you posted it, it's not too surprising you can access it. Try submitting it as an attachment.
 
  • #9
DaveC426913 said:
Because of the initial conditions under which the solar system was formed. The planets accreted from a rotating disk of dust and gas. This is also why they all orbit in the same direction.

Doesn't venus orbit the opposite direction... or is that the rotation of it's axis?
 
  • #10
Just to add to DaveC426913's explanation...
The original cloud of material was not a disk, but as it collapsed, it spun faster and material was spread out in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation (conservation of angular momentum)...thus forming the protoplanetary disk which aggregated (gravitationally) into the planets all orbiting the central sun in the same direction (since the whole disk was rotating that way to begin with).

Nexus555 said:
Doesn't venus orbit the opposite direction... or is that the rotation of it's axis?
It's rotation (on its axis) is retrograde (opposite direction of its orbit). Not sure why...perhaps a large-scale collosion early in its formational history?

Delzac said:
Anyway it is just a structure of an atom. (the conventional one, with electrons orbiting in dif. planes. Trying the illustrate my point with the structure of an atom.)
Note that electrons don't actually orbit that way (see quantum mechanics).
 

What is an orbit?

An orbit is the path that an object takes around another object in space, due to their gravitational attraction. For example, the Earth orbits around the sun.

How do orbits work?

Orbits work due to the balance between the object's forward motion and the gravitational pull of the object it is orbiting. This results in the object continually falling towards the larger object, but never reaching it because of its forward motion.

What factors affect an orbit?

The factors that affect an orbit include the mass of the objects, their distance from each other, and their velocity. These factors determine the shape and size of the orbit.

Why do objects in orbit not fall to Earth?

Objects in orbit do fall towards the Earth, but their forward motion keeps them from crashing into it. This is known as centripetal force.

Can orbits change over time?

Yes, orbits can change over time due to factors such as changes in the mass of the objects, external forces, or collisions with other objects. This is known as orbital evolution.

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