2006-10-20 02:56:49 · 9 answers · asked by fuchtig 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
All the planets spin because they were set in motion by the effects of mass attraction (gravity). When gases and other particles become attracted to each other via their own mass, they begin to affect other object's movement. It's just like putting a penny into one of those huge funnels you see at the science centers. The gases and particles spin around each other until they smash together and form a new object. The motion that we observe today is because of how our solar system was formed.
The planets travel around the sun in a counter-clockwise motion. This is of course true if, and only, you observe the planets from above. Meaning that you travelled from the Earth by leaving the northern hemisphere and continued to travel northerly based upon the celestial sphere.
If you left the southern hemisphere to observe the planets motion, you would observe them travel around the sun in a clockwise fashion.
2006-10-20 03:11:42 · answer #1 · answered by Telesto 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
All planets in the solar system spin on their axis. When the solar system first formed, all the matter that created the planets was spinning. All the planets except Venus spin counter clockwise. Venus spins clock wise. The planets do take different amounts of time to spin once around. Mercury and Venus take the longest, while Jupiter spins the fastest at under 10 hours to completely spin once.
2006-10-20 07:04:30 · answer #2 · answered by bldudas 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Any object in space has two options, rotate or stay absolutely still. Since there are a few trillion ways to be rotating and only one way of being still, what are the odds any particular planet will be spinning at some rate other than zero?
Spin can add stability to a planet's orbit, as it does to a flying bullet or a gyroscope. But the rate, attitude or direction depends on what events formed and interact with the object.
2006-10-20 20:24:52 · answer #3 · answered by skepsis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are many reasons why the earth spins. One is gravity, earths magnetic force, mass and spin is what keeps everythin on the planet. All planets spin. not all in the same direction or axlses but in some direction they spin. Planets and moons spin because other wise there mass wouldnt be enough to keep them from being pulled in to the suns gravitional pull alone with any other planet.
2006-10-20 06:05:42 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are also moons of other planets that rotate the opposite way as predicted from a solar accretion disk. This suggests that these objects were either captured by the solar systems gravity or they were impacted and sent into a different orbit.
2006-10-20 05:34:41 · answer #5 · answered by Answer guy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They don't. Venus spins backwards and Uranus is laying on it's side.
And for Mercury to always have one side to the sun (which it doesn't) it would have to spin once a year.
2006-10-20 05:40:34 · answer #6 · answered by Nomadd 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they all formed out of the same primordial gas cloud, which was slowing rotating. As they grew smaller (condensed) their rotation sped up, just like a skater drawing their arms in (conservation of angular momentum).
Thus with few exceptions, due to random collisions, the planets and moons rotate relatively fast, and in the same direction.
2006-10-20 06:03:09 · answer #7 · answered by fresh2 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know that Mercury does not spin... one side is very hot and the other is forzen...
=)
2006-10-20 03:07:42 · answer #8 · answered by »-Mia-» 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋
uhm.. gravity?
2006-10-20 03:03:48 · answer #9 · answered by nikki 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋