G.U.T.finder said:Like if I put a boulder on a trampoline and then I put a baseball next, the baseball would go toward the boulder.
Nugatory said:You're one of many people who have been misled by the trampoline analogy. It makes for nice pictures and non-technical descriptions of kinda sort of what's happening, but it's very misleading if you want to really understand what's going on.
The force that keeps the planets in orbit is called gravity. This force is created by the mass of the planets and the mass of the sun. The larger the mass of the objects, the stronger the force of gravity between them.
Gravity keeps the planets in orbit by pulling them towards the sun. The planets are constantly moving towards the sun, but their tangential velocity (speed and direction) keeps them from falling into the sun. This results in a circular or elliptical orbit around the sun.
The planets don't fall into the sun because of their tangential velocity and the force of gravity. The tangential velocity keeps the planets moving forward, while the force of gravity pulls them towards the sun. These two forces balance each other out, keeping the planets in orbit.
No, not all planets have the same orbit around the sun. The size and shape of a planet's orbit depends on its distance from the sun and its mass. For example, Mercury has a much smaller orbit than Jupiter because it is closer to the sun and has a smaller mass.
Yes, planets can change their orbit over time. This is due to the influence of other planets and objects in the solar system. For example, the orbit of Pluto was changed when it crossed paths with Neptune, causing it to become more elliptical. Additionally, the gravitational pull of passing comets and asteroids can also affect the orbit of a planet.