Laplace plane
The Laplace plane is defined as the mean plane occupied by the orbit of a
satellite during a precession cycle. In other words, the
plane normal to the orbital precession pole of the satellite. It is used to describe the orbits of satellites of gas giants. The "plane" is in fact a non-planar surface whose orientation in space is somewhat warped as
distance from the planet increases. Roughly, for the satellites orbiting very close to the planet the Laplace plane is the
planet's equatorial plane (being dominated by the planet's oblateness), while with increasing distance it warps or tilts until it
approaches the orbital plane of the planet for its outer satellites (being dominated by the Sun). There are, however, some
appreciable deviations from this rule. For example, the Laplace planes for the satellites of Neptune are strongly influenced by the largest moon Triton, while for the
outer satellites of
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