Exploring Planetary Orbits and the Sun's Rotation

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the misalignment between planetary orbits and the Sun's rotation, specifically noting a discrepancy of approximately 6 degrees. It highlights that the Sun's total angular momentum is significantly smaller than that of the planets, accounting for only a few percent of the total. A proposed theory suggests that the collision of an Earth-sized body with the Sun during the solar system's formation could have caused this angular momentum shift, leading to the observed misalignment.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of angular momentum in astrophysics
  • Familiarity with solar system formation theories
  • Basic knowledge of planetary motion and orbits
  • Concepts of gravitational interactions between celestial bodies
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of angular momentum in astrophysics
  • Study solar system formation models and their implications
  • Explore the effects of celestial collisions on planetary orbits
  • Investigate the dynamics of gravitational interactions in multi-body systems
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Astronomers, astrophysicists, students of planetary science, and anyone interested in the dynamics of celestial mechanics and solar system formation.

rootone
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Are there any good theories which can explain how the orbits of planets are not aligned with the rotation of the Sun?
I gather there is about 6 degrees of differance, which is not small.
 
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The total angular momentum of the sun is pretty small compared to the angular momentum of the planets (a few percent). If I calculated correctly, it wouldn't take a lot to shift the sun's angular momentum vector by a few degrees. If an Earth-sized body had fallen into the sun during the formation of the solar system, which is quite feasible, I think it would be enough to cause the observed misalignment.
 

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