If Pluto's orbit crosses Neptune's, will they some day collide?

Answer 1

a couple of thing could happen, they could collide, they could come close enough that their gravity would affect one another and that could change their orbits or it may never happen

Answer 2

No. Firstly, the orbits don't truly cross, because Pluto's is highly inclined. That is, it's tilted. In the areas where the orbits overlap when seen from above, they are actually still quite far apart; Pluto's orbit is well "above" Neptune's at these "intersections." Secondly, Neptune and Pluto are in resonance such that they are always on opposite sides of the sun from each other. The closest Pluto ever comes to Neptune is actually about the same distance as the closest it gets to Saturn.

Answer 3

Not necessarily.

Plutos orbit goes inside the Neptune circle of orbit and than outside its orbit. They never actually cross orbits. It is like two interlocking rings. They can be positioned where they never actually touch each other. Thats what Neptune and Pluto do.

Wouldn't think over the billions of years they have existed that that scenio would've already played out? I would think so.

Answer 4

Yes but space debris is continually crossing with some collisions.

See manmade debris threatens orbital launches.

Also what you cannot see may destroy the Earth.

And disagreement over Pluto's inclusion as a planet started almost before it was discovered...

Glad it only took Seventy odd years to resolve. As the number was getting out of hand they feared loss of amatuer and future professional astronomers as no one would ever be able to pass the planet ID part of school. Plus celestial object 13723 doesn't have the same 'ring' to it.

Okay real reasonwas they had run out of Greco-Roman dieties names and something had to be done. That was way easier then traveling back in time to insert those 10,000 extra names.

Answer 5

I don't know. But, I think it's feasible that since Pluto and Charon have such a delicate association I wouldn't doubt that one day they will separate from a near miss or hit by some object. The directions that they take might be calculated than. It has also been suggested we'll lose our moon eventually also. I am thinking about the game of pool with this. What are your thoughts on this also.? And how long would this take.

Answer 6

It is very probable, bt no for many centuries upon milleniums of orbital criss-crossing. It's not impossible, it may even be inevitable. I'll add more to this answer later, and I hope that I helped!