Why do the planets of the solar system all lie on the same plane ?

Question

Why do all the planets of the solar system orbit the sun on the same plane ( except for pluto ) ?

Answer 1

Its a phenomenon of physics.

As the sun and planets formed, they naturally aligned to the same plane due to gravitational and centrifugal forces.

Answer 2

It has to do with how our solar system formed. The current theory is called the solar nebula theory. Basically, the solar system started out as a cloud of gas and dust that was slowly spinning. Once the Sun (well at the time a proto-star) formed and the planets began forming they were pushed in to the same plane due to centrifugal force.  Bascially, since everything was rotating around the sun it all got squished into the same plane.

Answer 3

cuz they do

Answer 4

The Sun's linear velocity is greatest at its equator. When the matter which eventually formed the Solar System was just a disc it "spun out" from the centre at the plane where centrifugal force was greatest. This the area that became the Sun's equator when it became (for all meaningful purposes) a sphere.  

The centrifugal force means that they are all trying to escape into space but they're restrained by the gravitational force of the Sun so they mostly stay in that plane. This is similar to the reason that the Moon orbits around Earth's equator, give or take a little oscillation within the tropics.

Answer 5

They aren't. Especially pluto.

Answer 6

Thats something I've thought about alot too.

It falls under the 'theory' concept, nothings proven, I don't think.

Have you ever seen one of those floating magnets, the ones with a magnet on the bottom and a magnet on the top both away from the center magnet, but strong enough to keep the center magnet floating mid air with no contact from anything else.

I think thats how the planets are, each one with its own gravity acting as magnets keeping everything in snugly, and just like if you nudge the magnet, it will just move back into place (I'm talking on a grander scale, cause you can just smack the magnet out of orbit with your hand) and seeing as you need 2 points of gravity to cause something to float in place that would probably also be why pluto orbits differently, no 2ndary gravity from another planet to anchor itself to.

And the reason why they are all in a straight plane is because (I think) of the equators of both space and the planets, if the big bang theory happened then that would mean gravity was a very high density at one point right here where our planets are, causing a space equator of sorts, just a flat high density gravitational pull that eventually gravitated (planet version of magnetizing a magnet) each planet to act as the gravity that caused its creation.

Hope that makes sense, and I hope it helps

Answer 7

Basically the solar system formed when a spinning gas cloud collapsed. As it collapsed the spinning increased, which pushed out the vast majority of the matter into a flat plane.

Answer 8

Just to go with Starkids great answer and to honor Carl Sagan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwksMbFNE...

Answer 9

Allow me to illuminate a bigger picture:

The moon is on the nodes when it's plane and the plane of the Earth intersect. This occurs every 18.6 years. Besides the rest of the planets on their orbital plane, the Milky Way too, has a plane. It is on a galactic scale. The Milky Way, an ellipsoid, is a squashed sphere rather than a rugby ball (5 to 1 ratio). It is 16 kiloparsecs in diameter. It is slightly reminiscent of the Andromeda Galaxy save it is irregular and of uneven density.



http://www.rc-astro.com/photo/id1034.htm...



On the second most outer spiral arm of the Milky Way, or, where our solar system lies, it is less dense than towards the center. Still, though the galactic case of Newton's laws is more highly complex than the solar, so apparently our Sun, on one of the spiral arms, is heading with determination towards a dark void in space between the constellations of Hercules and Lyra.



http://www.rc-astro.com/photo/id1166.htm...



http://www.flickr.com/photos/hshdude/219...



The constellation Sagittarius is roughly the nucleus of the Milky Way. Our solar system revolves around it in it's movement through the Milky Way.



http://www.allthesky.com/constellations/...



Our nearest neighbor is the triple binary, Alpha, Beta, and Proxima Centauri, which is also located in the Milky Way. Alpha and Beta are binary stars revolving around each other, while Proxima revolves around the pair.



http://www.allthesky.com/various/by32abc...



In order to help give these facts some perspective in both speed and distance (taking into account the galactic case of Newton's laws), Earth spins at 1000 MPH (approx.) at the equator. It orbits the Sun at 66,000 MPH (approx.). Our solar system meanwhile, dashes through the Milky Way at 481,000 MPH (approx.).