rotating three dimensional around the sun like the earth is on a different axis rotating around the sun more than Jupiter or what I'm thinking about this the most is the asteroid belt, is the asteroid belt just a belt or is it a complete shield circling around in-between Mars and Jupiter?
2007-07-17 20:13:02 · 8 answers · asked by crashaholics 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The solar system is pretty flat. Not exactly, though. Pluto has an orbital plane something like 20 degrees to the ecliptic. But the other planets are within a couple degrees of being all on the same plane. Some planets' moons are fairly inclined because they tend to orbit their planet's equator and most planets have a fair degree of declination in their polar axes. Uranus is the worst, almost "on its side." Comets often have highly inclined orbits, too.
2007-07-17 20:35:17 · answer #1 · answered by Brant 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not taking the movement of our sun, galaxy, etc, The solar system is two dimensional. All planets are on the same (or close to the same) orbital plane. Pluto is not a planet, primarily because it's orbital inclination is far greater then the other planets. The asteroid belt between Earth and Mars is 2 dimensional, as is the Kuiper belt. The Ort cloud, which surrounds the Solar system, however, is a sphere.
2007-07-18 07:23:11 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's fully 3-dimensional. Even when the eight planets are all within 3.4° of of the same "disk" as the Earth's orbit, with the exception of Mercury that is inclined by 7°.
Pluto is not one of the eight planets and has an inclination of about 17°
The main question is the asteroid belt. There the inclinations of the objects can be much higher. Also many orbits are so eccentric that they cross the orbits of Mars and earth. Those asteroids that cross our orbit are inclined by more than 20° so a collision has a statistically low probability.
2007-07-17 20:51:16 · answer #3 · answered by Ernst S 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's all relative. But what you seem to be asking is in relation to the Sun. In relation to the Sun, the planets and asteroids orbit more or less in a plane, which I suppose could be said to be two dimensions. As stated by others, there is variation, as much as say 20 degrees for Pluto. But that's still pretty much in the same general plane. They're not going every which way, no.
As far as the Asteroid Belt, it really is like a belt, yes. It's not a big sphere.
2007-07-18 00:32:19 · answer #4 · answered by silverlock1974 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Solar System is pretty close to being planar. The solutions of the differential equations Which we use to describe celestial motion do not have three-dimensional components. In theory, even Pluto's orbit will eventually come to be in the "plane of the ecliptic" because of the gravitational attraction of the other planets. This flattening process takes untold eons, but it is inexorable, as the galaxies and even the universe evidence.
2007-07-17 22:18:33 · answer #5 · answered by Helmut 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
essentually all the planets and the asteroid belt go around the sun in the same plane, so it is 2D ish. This is why you see the planets all follow the same/similar path in the sky. Main exception to this is comets which orbit in very different planes.
2007-07-17 20:31:57 · answer #6 · answered by Professional Physicist 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The answer has nothing to do with the planet orbits or Axis
the simple fact is the SUN is moving thru the galaxy
almost perpendicular to the planetary orbits
so the orbital motion is more like a HELIX in space
3D
2007-07-17 21:03:07 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
No sorry.
2007-07-17 23:11:03 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋