3 dimensional space? yet solar systems form on a plane?

Discussion in 'Astronomy, Exobiology, & Cosmology' started by MicroCubedX3, Jul 20, 2011.

  1. MicroCubedX3 Registered Member

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    If space is 3 dimensional and gravity pulls "in" from all directions than why do solar systems and galaxies form along a plane? Why don't solar systems develop their orbits of planets in forms more in the shape of an atomic pattern based on the original vectors the dust entered the gravities influence?
     
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  3. Rhaedas Valued Senior Member

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    From here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formation_and_evolution_of_the_Solar_System

    Bolded is the answer to your question...initially all the matter falls inward, but the random movement and conservation of momentum shapes the contracting nebula. Which particular plane it forms varies, if it was a perfectly homogeneous mixture then it would have equal odds, but wherever the mass was greater would determine the main plane of rotation. Note that the planets are not all on a perfect plane, they do vary, and there's plenty of smaller bodies that have a wide variance as well.
     
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  5. MicroCubedX3 Registered Member

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    Thank you.
     
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  7. hardalee Registered Senior Member

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    Not including planets not on the plane,like the recently down graded Pluto, which likely was captured comming from somewhere else.
     
  8. Rhaedas Valued Senior Member

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    Many of the trans-Neptunian objects have similar eccentric orbits, from what I've seen they all have some type of resonance with Neptune. It seems many of them have close characteristics with Pluto's orbit. Maybe this is because we tend to find them when we're looking at already known objects like Pluto? And if we looked elsewhere, we'd see others in different orbits?
     
  9. MicroCubedX3 Registered Member

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    My understanding of the responses then would lead me to believe that it would be possible to have a solar system that has planets or planetoids that arrived after the initial development of stated solar system to have greatly divergent elliptical orbits. With the understanding due to gravitational forces that they would slowly conform to the plane that is already there.
     

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