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Despite the fact that Pluto and Neptune temporarily change places in their distance from the Sun, they will never collide. This is due to two reasons: First, Pluto's orbit is inclined to the ecliptic by 17 degrees. So even though we say their orbits "cross," Pluto is actually quite a distance "above" Neptune. Secondly, Pluto orbits the Sun twice for every three orbits of Neptune. The two planets are said to be in a "resonance orbit." For such orbits, the two bodies never get close to each other. In fact, the closest the two planets come to each other is 2 billion kilometers.

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Why don't the orbits of Neptune and Pluto collide?

Because the two orbits don't intersect with each other.


What is the closet planet to Pluto?

The closest planet to Pluto is Neptune, the closest object would be Chiron which is Pluto's "moon", although it is little more than a captured asteroid.


Do Neptune and Pluto have the same orbit?

No, Neptune and Pluto do not have the same orbit. Neptune orbits the Sun in a nearly circular path close to the plane of the Solar System, while Pluto has a more elliptical and inclined orbit that is skewed compared to the other planets. Additionally, Neptune's orbit is further from the Sun compared to Pluto's orbit.


Is Uranus close to Neptune?

According to the astronauts, there is a very small chance that at one time Pluto will ever come close to Neptune. This assertion has been discussed in many forums bearing in mind that their orbit intersects. Gravitational resonance is the condition that prevents Pluto and Neptune from colliding.


What planet does Pluto interfere its orbit with?

Pluto's orbit interferes with Neptune's orbit due to their gravitational interactions. This causes their orbits to cross over each other at points, though they do not collide.


How does Pluto not hit Neptune?

Looking at the orbits drawn out on paper, it appears that the two orbits intersect. However, that is misleading. In three dimensions, The orbits are several million miles apart when Pluto passes inside Neptune's orbit. One is above the other and there is no common point that they both move through.


What planet does Pluto orbit?

Pluto doesn't orbit any planets, it orbits the sun. But if you mean what planet does Pluto share a orbit with is Neptune. Pluto sometimes is closer to the sun than Neptune because it cuts into Neptune's orbit.


Is Neptune's orbit unusual?

The orbits of Neptune and Pluto appear to cross each other. However, because of their alignment, they can never collide or even approach close to each other.Pluto orbits in a very long elliptical shape. Its orbit sometimes passes within that of Neptune. Then, for about 20 years, it becomes closer to the sun than Neptune.


If Pluto has not cleared its neighborhood of objects in its orbit then neither has Neptune since Pluto crosses its orbit Why is Neptune not excluded from the list of planets?

It crosses another planet's orbital path. Since Pluto is not a planet, it does not matter. Comets always pass other planets' orbital paths. They are still called planets. Countless asteriods and comets orbits the sun and crosses every planets orbital path. Pluto is somewhat a part of them.There is something circular about the logic in the above answer; see discussion.Probably a stronger answer is the fact that even though a section of the orbit of Pluto comes within the orbit of Neptune, the harmonic relationship between the two bodies is such that they can never collide, barring some catastrophic event that alters one or both orbits. Neptune and Pluto are locked in this harmonic relationship where for every three orbits of Neptune there is exactly two orbits of Pluto. So Pluto cannot be seen as an object that Neptune must clear. Pluto is more like an unusual moon of Neptune.


Does the orbit of Pluto sometimes cross that of the planet Neptune?

Pluto has a highly elliptical orbit which is at a steep angle to the ecliptic.The ecliptic is the plane that contains the sun's apparent motion through the skies from earth's point of view. Pluto is a K.O. (Kuyper Object, an object from the Kuyper Belt, more like an icy comet than an asteroid). It does travel within the orbit of Neptune for a few years out of its long orbit, but never in a way that will bring it crashing down onto Neptune. Pluto is locked into a special harmonic relationship with Neptune which prevents that from happening. For every 2 orbits of Pluto there are 3 orbits of Neptune. They are never close enough to collide. Pluto spends the vast majority of its orbital time in the Kuyper Belt, beyond Neptune's orbit.


What planets have orbits that cross?

inner planets <<>> Pluto has a very elliptical orbit and Pluto crosses inside the orbit of Neptune during its travel. However Pluto has a highly inclined orbit as well so there is no likelihood of a collision.


Why did Pluto get pushed so far away?

It is not clear that Pluto has been pushed anywhere, it is a large Kuiper belt object with an orbit that is not in the plane of the other the Solar System's planet orbits which indicates it is orbiting where it always did. It is Uranus and Neptune that have moved out in their orbits.