2006-09-18 01:39:16 · 5 answers · asked by Ananth Murthy 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The accretion disk concept is the key. Such a disk becomes "self-maintaining", because any object whose orbit is inclined with respect to the disk will be cutting through it twice per orbit. Thus collisions will occur, and on average these collisions tend to bring the outsider object and the disk into closer alignment. (Note that, as a side "benefit", self-maintenance also tends to circularize those orbits that are in the orbital plane.) Such collision-induced corrections apparently never happened to Pluto. It may have wandered into the solar area after the accretion disk went through the normal evolution such disks undergo, which is clumping into a much smaller number of large bodies. Or it may have been outside the major mass concentration of the disk when it arrived, as it is now.
2006-09-18 02:48:32 · answer #1 · answered by kirchwey 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
According to the latest news, pluto is not (not anymore) a planet... Looks like (some) astronoms think that pluto is more like a big asteroid than a real planet.
Edit: oops I did not answer the question about planet. Some theories say that an original cloud of matter (remains of a former nova which exploded), which was originally spinning, condensed and formed the planets. The plane of the planets is the meridian of this former matter cloud.
Edit2: Of course pluto is still a planet in the books, they decided that this summer...
Edit3: Pluto had a different life, looks like it was not formed "in place", but it is an outer object which was brought there by the gravitational field of the giant planets. This is one reason to demote it.
2006-09-18 01:45:48 · answer #2 · answered by bloo435 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they were all formed from something called an accretion disk, which is more or less the "equator" of a much larger sphere. Other objects orbiting the sun are believed to be debris which was captured into orbit later, as the solar system itself moved through space. All the other stuff like comets and other Kuiper Belt objects (like Pluto) were sort of "vaccumed up" along the way.
Peace
2006-09-18 01:51:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Considering Pluto is no longer a planet it is a moot point. However, any object with an amount of force and gravity to interfere with the plane of another object will do so. Being bombarded is an example. Almost think of playing billiards in 3D. Not everything will stay on the plane when hit.
2006-09-18 01:49:16 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
screw what those ( experts) think pluto is still a planet in my book
2006-09-18 01:46:38 · answer #5 · answered by rives 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋