From the December 2007 issue

Why do all planets in our solar system orbit in approximately the same plane?

Riley Larkins, Manchester, New Hampshire
By | Published: December 1, 2007 | Last updated on May 18, 2023

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

The fact that all the planets in our solar system orbit in the same direction about the Sun, on nearly circular orbits, and in the same plane (to within a few degrees, with the exception of Mercury) was known to astronomers hundreds of years ago.