Dispite this, collisions between the two are not possible. What are some possible reasons for this?
2007-10-30 11:30:07 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Their orbits do not intersect. They are not on the same plane, so while Pluto comes closer to the Sun than Neptune it does not actually cross Neptune's orbit to do so.
2007-10-30 23:01:42 · answer #1 · answered by Jason T 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're thinking in two dimensions. Pluto's orbit is inclined from the ecliptic. Imagine a disk extending out into infinity from the sun's equator. Most of the planets' orbits fall pretty close to that disk, called the plane of the ecliptic. Pluto is the exception. It's orbit is tilted out of the ecliptic so while it may come within Neptune's orbit it never intersects Neptune's orbit.
2007-10-30 12:01:31 · answer #2 · answered by kevpet2005 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Collisions between the two are not impossible! The outer Solar System is still chaotic, and someday in the distant future the orbits could be perturbed so that they do collide. At present, however, the orbits are in different planes and do not intersect.
2007-10-30 12:00:21 · answer #3 · answered by cosmo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because their orbits don't intersect!
2007-10-30 11:32:45 · answer #4 · answered by LabMonkey 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋