...and if so, why?
2007-03-17 04:43:54 · 6 answers · asked by Brandon B 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The planets do all orbit the Sun in the same direction; this is thought to be a legacy of the time they were forming. All the planets coalesed from a disk of material surrounding the young Sun, and therefore they still orbit in the same direction the disk was rotating.
In systems of moons around planets, for example the 30 or so known moons around Jupiter, the majority of them orbit in the same direction although a few of the smaller moons are retrograde; that is, they move in the opposite direction. These are thought to be asteroids that were captured at later times by the giant planets.
As for other solar systems, we can only define a direction relative to the star. We tend to choose "North" so that the planets do rotate in the same direction of our solar system, and so this is simply a matter of definition. The same applies to looking at other galaxies, where we'd define galactic north with reference to the direction of rotation
2007-03-17 04:49:15 · answer #1 · answered by Spiritssong1 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Usually the word "rotate" means the motion of a body about its axis, as in "the Earth rotates once in 23 h 56m 4s, relative to the stars." The motion of a body about another body is termed "revolution," as in "the Earth revolves once around the sun in 365 d 5 h 49 m 6 s."
If your question is "do all the planets revolve around the sun in the same direction," then the answer is yes. Viewed from far above the Earth's north pole, the planets all revolve counterclockwise around the sun.
If your question is "do all the planets rotate about their axes in the same direction," then the answer is no, as explained in the preceding answers. Viewed from far above the earth's north pole, Mercury, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune rotate counterclockwise, also called for this purpose "prograde" because it's the same direction as their revolution around the sun. Venus rotates clockwise, opposite to its direction of revolution, which is called retrograde. The axis of Uranus is tipped by 98 degrees relative to the plane of its orbit, which makes it slightly retrograde mathematically, but it's more accurate to say that it rotates on its side, neither distinctly prograde nor retrograde. The rotation of Pluto is retrograde.
2007-03-17 05:41:00 · answer #2 · answered by Isaac Laquedem 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It is just conservation of angular momentum. It is like a top spinning toy. It takes a large effort for a planet to suddenly stop and orbit in the opposite direction.
2016-03-18 05:06:29 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, Venus and Uranus orbit the sun in the opposite direction of all the other planets.
2007-03-17 05:51:22 · answer #4 · answered by Lucy 4 · 0⤊ 4⤋
Yes.
That is the direction that the gasses & materials were spinning
as they formed the sun...
2007-03-17 04:47:55 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 2⤋
No, all don't revolve in the same direction.
Venus revolves in clockwise direction. while rest other planets in counter clockwise.
2007-03-17 05:07:06 · answer #6 · answered by nayanmange 4 · 0⤊ 4⤋
they do but i have no clue why
2007-03-17 04:52:37 · answer #7 · answered by boultonsisters 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋