How did planets/satellites establish their orbits?

Question

Were they floating around before they got locked into their gravitation path in respect to the Sun?

If so, how? Didn'i they have to slow down enough to lock-in?

Could they be from other solar systems?

And, why don't asteroids stay in orbit? I read millions pass through our atsmosphere every week. Why aren't those caught between the Earth and Moon locked-in? Because of their Velocity?

Answer 1

It is the balancing of the equation the centrifugal force equals the gravity pull . There are all kinds of orbits . Haley's comet is about 80 years. Get rid of the term locked in . Most of the asteroids are not going around the earth . They either hit or go off at a tangent that may never bring it back.

Answer 2

The solar system started from a big cloud of gas and debris. Because of gravity over probably many millions of years, the sun and the planets coalesced from the cloud of "stuff". Where they are was pretty much established by where they formed. I'm sure there were some changes due to collisions along the way. They are not from other solar systems.

Millions of asteroids do not pass through out atmosphere every day. Most are in orbit between Mars and Jupiter but some have eccentric orbits that cross ours.

Answer 3

The orbital path of a planet is determined by the gravity pull of other planets and moons. In other words, the sun, the moons, and planets are all responsible for the orbital paths of asteroids and other space debris...........

Answer 4

the orbit is based on the gravitational pull of the planet that is being orbited. bigger things have more gravity than smaller things, so small things can escape gravity easier. Some people think that it's because space time is curved and there is a dent in it where planets and space things are.

Answer 5

ALL planets and satellittes must follow Kepler's Laws of planetary motion.

Google Kepler's law for the equation.