nearly all the planets-asteroides-moons-comets etc are round or more or less a spheric form-why dont we have celestiel bodies of other form apart -that same old round figure?
2007-03-02 02:52:30 · 3 answers · asked by john r 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Think of it this way: Gravity pulls towards the center of mass from all directions equally. The shape of the gravitational field is more or less a sphere, and the matter caught up in it is being compressed in all directions equally - like making meatballs or something.
The bodies that are not spherical are not massive enough for the effect of the gravity to be strong enough to change the shape of the object. Their physical structure is strong enough to hold pieces of themselves farther from the center of mass than other pieces.
2007-03-02 03:22:36 · answer #1 · answered by ZeroByte 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Spheres are the simplest three dimensional objects. Natural forces-gravity-favor simple forms. I is called entropy. Wouldn't cubes or tetrahedrons be even odder.
2007-03-02 03:12:23 · answer #2 · answered by Matthew P 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's the position of least energy and any system tends toward least energy. Least energy is obtained cuz a sphere has least moment of inertia!
2007-03-02 02:56:39 · answer #3 · answered by louzadodude 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋