2006-09-30 12:28:57 · 7 answers · asked by aggies_2011 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The technical answer to your question is "Yes, Almost."
You are speaking of what is called the "Solar Plane". Imagine a tennis ball with a large DVD slicing through the middle of it. The ball represents the sun, and the planets would be points on the DVD surface. The DVD would then represent the Solar Plane.
If a planet followed an orbit around the ball that was NOT on the DVD surface (like a second DVD slicing through the ball), then the angle between the Solar Plane and that planet's orbit, or the angle between the two DVD's, is called the Planetary Inclination (that is, the orbit is inclined a certain number of degrees relative to the solar plane).
Relatively speaking, the first 8 planets do orbit on the Solar Plane, with only slight and mostly negligible variations (assuming you're not planning a space flight, in which case orbital inclination becomes a significant factor in keeping you from zooming right out of the solar system!). That is, they all have a Planetary Inclination of almost Zero degrees.
Pluto, however, has an orbit that is inclined 17.1 degrees to the Solar Plane. Of course, Pluto has now been officially demoted from planet status, so give or take a few degrees, the official answer to your question is "Yes, Almost".
An interesting animation can be found at the web address below.
Good luck!
2006-09-30 13:04:14 · answer #1 · answered by Don P 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The planet's orbits are not exactly on a single plane, but they are very close to it. None of the orbital planes deviates more than 8 degrees from the ecliptic (which is what the nominal plane of the planetary orbits is called). This of course excludes pluto, no longer considered a planet, whose inclination is 17 degrees
2006-09-30 19:56:40 · answer #2 · answered by gp4rts 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hi. I assume you mean the orbit of a single object, not all the planets each of which lie on a slightly different plane. For the most part yes, they stay on a plane. But the orbit can be perturbed by passing near an object with enough gravity to change the orbit slightly up or down..
2006-09-30 19:32:24 · answer #3 · answered by Cirric 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes they do. Approximately. The plane of the Earth's orbit is called the ecliptic and all the other planets orbit in planes very close to the ecliptic plane.
2006-09-30 23:15:12 · answer #4 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the solar system, yes. All except Pluto, which has a very elliptical orbit and goes a bit wonky. And yes, I do know Pluto is no longer a planet.
2006-09-30 22:28:36 · answer #5 · answered by Eddy G 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If all planets revolved on the same plane, they'd eclipse eachother (as seen from the Earth) quite often. The way things are, it's quite rare for a planet to pass in front of the Sun, let alone another planet.
2006-09-30 19:40:22 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
no! the solar system looks more like an atom withe sun as the nucleus then a spirograph drawing. posters are printed that way to make it easier for kids to understnd the concept of orbiting
2006-10-01 09:47:13 · answer #7 · answered by Kay 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋