Why is the Solar System Flat?

About 4.6 billion years ago, a giant shapeless cloud full of dust and gas condensed in one place due to the irresistible force of gravity. This is how the Moon, the Sun and all the planets in our system are born.

However, something strange happens – from this shapeless nebula almost all the planets and their satellites somehow manage to arrange themselves to form a flat disk.

As MinutePhysics explains, all the planets in the solar system orbit within approximately 2 degrees in the same plane. Except for Pluto, because he wants to be special. 

Why aren’t objects zipping about the cosmos in all kinds of crazy trajectories? Why does everything seem to orbit on (approximately) the same level? Watch this great video to find out.


 

7 Responses

  • When formed stars are orbiting in non-flat plane orbits in the bubbles of the blast area of a supernova. But, it is the electromagnetic field that exists around all objects in plane f a host galaxy that makes these new stars obtain a flat plan orbit in the flat plane orbit of the host galaxy. The same is true for the objects in the plane of the host galaxy. The electromagnetic field stabilizes orbiting fields into the flat plane.

    • A beautiful representation of our motion thru the universe. While not perfect, it does represent that the solar system is not spinning in the direction it’s moving, but is circling a moving object while moving in the same direction.

      https://youtu.be/0jHsq36_NTU

  • Who determines what direction is up and down, for these to cancel out but the various sideways movements not to? In space there is no up and down.

    • Agreed. It seems like they came to a conclusion then back filled in all the “holes” with numbers that fit the model. That’s backwards.

  • OK … assuming we are in a 3 dimensional universe … rather than 2 dimensional and rather than 4 dimensional … but how does this demonstration prove to work in a holographic universe, which is another hypothesis floating around …. ???? Just asking …

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