Planets,gravity,and proximity?

Question

why are smaller planets (like Urnaus and Neptune) farther away from the sun then larger planets like Jupiter and Saturn.

Is it just from time not setting course, or were they barely caught in from the suns gravity, or is there a real different reason?

Answer 1

Ack...

What about Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars?  They are all smaller than Neptune and Uranus.   It's not so much the size, but the density of planets that have to do with where they are.  It's hypothesized that the planets all formed from a proto-planetary disc.  In this disc, the heavier elements concentrated toward the center.  That explains it rather well, except for the Kuiper belt.

And to Phantom Stranger:  Hello???? *God* created the Universe, Jesus was his Son who died for our sins... don't you even know your own religion?

Answer 2

I might get a downer for this but... lol... I give it a try..

Well I believe in Jesus Christ.. therefore,

I just think that's the way He wanted them, He built the Universe  and holds the Universe in the palm of His hand...

I just think it's simply the way He wants it/]..

Answer 3

I think it was caught in the Sun's gravity. In ancient times, they only made out planets until saturn. So maybe before the remaining planets were found, the planets got caught in the Sun's gravity. Maybe there are other reasons but I am sticking with this

Answer 4

Scientific American had a great issue earlier this year on the generation of solar systems.

When solar systems are forming Large planets form quicker and gather lots of the initial debris towards them, but in doing so they move closer to the sun, thereby becoming even bigger as more matter collides with them and make them larger. Eventually they reach a stable orbit and cease to move towards the sun. The debris left behind it in further orbits gather together and begin to form the other planets. Because the larger planets have gathered up so much of the matter then the left over only has enough to form smaller planets.

Our Solar system is a perfect example where jupiter and saturn have influenced the rest of the solar system, preventing matter from reaching the inner planets (mercury, venus, earth, mars) and yet gathering up most of the matter leaving smaller planets further up.

Answer 5

Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are all much smaller than the gas giants and are much closer to the sun...time to re-think your question.

Answer 6

When the rocky debris that makes up the planets of our solar system,crashed into the hydrogen field that became our sun,a giant cigar shaped smoke ring was formed.

  It became disc shaped with the sun at the center,the spinning disc of rocky material concentrated at the ends of the disc and the giant gas planets at the center.