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The orbit of each planet is completely in a plane. That is, the whole orbit would lie on a sheet of paper if you had one big enough ... there are no lumps or bumps in the orbit that rise out of the paper or droop below it.
It's important to understand, though, that the orbits of all the planets don't all lie in the same plane. They're all close, but they're all different.
The plane of the earth's orbit is what we call the "Ecliptic Plane". The line where the ecliptic plane intersects the "bowl" of the sky is the circular path through the stars that the sun appears to travel in the course of a year.
Compared to the ecliptic plane, the plane of Mercury's orbit is tilted about 7 degrees, Mars' orbit about 1.9 degrees, Saturn's orbit about 2.5 degrees, and our moon's orbit about 5.5 degrees. This is why the sun, moon, and planets all appear to move through the same narrow band in the sky, though not exactly along the same line.
People have noticed this for thousands of years, and concluded that there must be something special about this narrow band in the sky. They ascribed special characteristics and influences to that strip, and to the stars and constellations in it. That series of constellations are the familiar 12 of the band called the 'Zodiac'.
What else can I help you with?
What shapes are the orbits of many comets?
Most cross orbits of planets which allows it to hit the planets easier. They do not go into a full orbit at all.
Which planets orbital shape is similar to Jupiter?
All planets in our solar system have elliptical orbits.
Is the orbit of each planet a ellipse?
Yes, according to Kepler's laws of planetary motion, the orbit of each planet around the Sun is an ellipse with the Sun at one of the two foci. This means that the planet's distance from the Sun varies throughout its orbit.
What is the main difference between the orbits of the inner and outer planets?
The planets revolve in elliptical orbits. The inner planets have orbits 230 million km or less from the Sun. The outer planets have orbits 775 million km or greater.
How far is Pluto from the other planets as it orbits the sun?
How far away is Pluto from all the pther planets?
What are the four planets that have orbits from most to least?
All the planets have orbits so four cannot be picked out.
Do all planets have to be circle?
No, because all planets known have elliptical orbits.
Why planets and moons of planets stay in their orbits?
The forces of gravity between two masses are the cause of all orbits.
Do all planets have eliptical orbits?
No, not all planets have elliptical orbits. While most planets in our solar system have nearly circular orbits, some planets, like Mercury and Pluto, have more elliptical orbits. Additionally, exoplanets outside our solar system can have a variety of orbital shapes.
The sun is a source of what?
Heat for all the planets and the main reason for the orbits of the planets.
In light of modern solar system theory why do the orbits of the planets all lie in nearly the same plane?
The orbits of the planets lie in nearly the same plane because they formed from a rotating disk of gas and dust around the young Sun, known as the solar nebula. As gravity caused material in the disk to clump together, it formed into the planets we see today, all orbiting in a flat plane due to the conservation of angular momentum.
What shapes are the orbits of many comets?
Most cross orbits of planets which allows it to hit the planets easier. They do not go into a full orbit at all.
Which planets orbital shape is similar to Jupiter?
All planets in our solar system have elliptical orbits.
Do the inner planets have direct or in direct orbit?
All the planets have direct orbits round the Sun.
Is the orbit of each planet a ellipse?
Yes, according to Kepler's laws of planetary motion, the orbit of each planet around the Sun is an ellipse with the Sun at one of the two foci. This means that the planet's distance from the Sun varies throughout its orbit.
Which two planets overlap?
The orbits of all planets in our solar system do not overlap; each planet has its own distinct orbit around the Sun. However, there are times when planets appear close together in the sky from our viewpoint on Earth due to their positions in their respective orbits.
How do you know that Venus orbits the Earth and not the sun?
It doesn't. All of the planets in our solar system orbits the sun.
