Angular Momentum: Keeping Planets on their Orbit

Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
6 replies · 4K views
mreq
Messages
77
Reaction score
0
Hy.

What makes the planets to keep their position on the orbit (the same orbit). Shouldn't be attracted by the gravitation of the star ?

Thanks!
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
Hi there,

To be very simple, their speed!
 
they keep in their orbits due to the force of attraction or gravitational pull which depends on the distance of the planets and the radius of the orbits from each other and the sun.
 
And what give them the speed (motion)?
 
And why it doesn't stop ?