The eight planets in the solar system orbit the sun in elliptical paths due to gravitational interactions. Kepler’s laws of planetary motion quantify orbital motion and explain that the planets move in a plane with the sun in a focus. Newton’s studies concluded that gravity plays an important role in the orbits, while Einstein’s theory of relativity explains the curvature of space caused by the planets acting on the space-time around them. Mathematical calculations are used to measure orbits and track changes over time. The entire orbital system is in motion, and the shape of the orbits changes over time.
The eight planets orbit the sun in an elliptical fashion mainly due to gravitational interactions. The sun has a gravitational pull, like most planets; Other celestial bodies do as well, and how these forces interact and attract or repel each other causes the orbit. Most physicists and astronomers believe that planetary orbits should be perfectly circular. Whether they are indeed elliptical, many say, has more to do with external forces and variance errors than anything else. German astronomer Johannes Kepler was the first to publish material demonstrating elliptical orbits, and his theories are still considered definitive. They were added to and expanded upon by Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein, among others.
Solar system basics
It is widely believed that the solar system contains eight planets, including Earth, which pass around a central sun at various intervals, each on its own elliptical track. Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars together make up what is known as the “inner” solar system. These planets rotate faster. Much further away is the “outer” system, made up of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. These planets are located much farther apart than those in the inner rings, and their orbits also tend to be much larger. All orbits are elliptical in shape, although with the exception of Mercury they tend to appear almost perfectly circular. It is usually only through intense mathematical calculations that people discover that they are actually elliptical.
Influence of eccentricity
Kepler was the first to identify the elliptical shape in the late 1600s. He invented three related “laws of planetary motion” that quantify orbital motion with some precision. Through these laws he was able to explain that the planets move in a plane with the sun in a focus and determined that the shape of the ellipse should be measured in terms of eccentricity; that is, the more eccentric an orbit is, the more elongated it is. Kepler did not determine why they orbit in an ellipse, but the basis of him has been used by other physicists who have come up with concrete explanations.
Importance of gravity
Newton’s studies concluded that gravity plays an important role. Through a series of calculations he was able to show that the planets attract each other and the sun, since the sun also exerts a gravitational pull on them. This has the effect of squashing orbits that might be expected to be circular in a closed system, as gravitational forces act on each other. One way to think about this is to imagine many hands throwing candy.
Curvature of space
The physical form of the space extension also contributes. Einstein’s theory of relativity also helps complete the explanation of why the planets orbit the Sun in an elliptical fashion, since part of the shape of the orbits is the result of the curvature of space caused by the planets acting on the space-time around them. The resulting “bending” of space has a proportional impact on movement and forces what would otherwise be circular to flatten and stretch.
Mathematical applications
In most cases the only accurate way to measure orbits and calculate planetary speed and motion is to undertake a series of somewhat complex mathematical calculations. People can calculate the orbits of individual planets as well as entities such as comets using mathematical rules established by Kepler, Newton, Einstein and those that followed, and they can also use equations to track the degree of change over time. This information is useful for a variety of applications, from programming observing telescopes to determining the degree of threat posed by an approaching comet or asteroid.
Changes over time
It is important for people to remember that many descriptions of planetary orbits are simplistic for the sake of easy understanding, and many place the sun as a fixed body in space around which the planets move. Indeed, the sun is in motion together with the planets, and as they move through space the precise shape of their orbits also changes. This should be kept in mind when looking into discussions of how planets orbit the sun, as the entire orbital system is actually moving.
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