Pluto's odd orbit

Is it at all possible that the strange orbit of Pluto can be explained by the assertion that it is a moon of Neptune and not a planet at all? It has a rather odd orbit in which it becomes both the furthest planet in our solar system and then just the eighth. To me, at least, it would make a lot of sense. Agree? Disagree?

I don't see how you could call it a moon of Neptune when it can be on the completely opposite side of the solar system... Do you mean to say that it was once a moon of Neptune, but somehow got knocked out of orbit around Neptune?

its funny pluto is even classified as a planet... isn't it more like a chunk of ice smaller than most of the solar system's moons?

Originally posted by utrex
I don't see how you could call it a moon of Neptune when it can be on the completely opposite side of the solar system... Do you mean to say that it was once a moon of Neptune, but somehow got knocked out of orbit around Neptune?

There is some speculation regarding that, that Triton and Pluto have a common history. Triton orbits Neptune clockwise, or retrograde, as the only large moon in the solar system that displays such a behaviour. Therefore, some speculate on an event that caused Triton to orbit the other way and Pluto to escape Neptune's gravity.

That would have to be a pretty big event, large impact or something very big passing by to distort and perturb orbits like that.Another odd thing is that pluto is sometimes its the 8th planet in the solar system from feb 27th 1979- 11th feb 1999(about 20 years) now though pluto will remain the 8th planet through the 23rd centuary.Oh and dont forget about Charon which is fairly close to pluto and about 1/3 its diameter has to have some effects on plutos orbit, im nearly sure its plutos moon but i could be wrong.

Merkz out

[edit on 2-7-2005 by Merkeva]

Originally posted by Merkeva
That would have to be a pretty big event, large impact or something very big passing by to distort and perturb orbits like that.

I don't think that is necessary. Neptune, Pluto and Triton would form a three body problem which is known to be unstable in certain instances. Unstable resonance can occur at certain ratios of the orbits (2:1, 3:1, 5:2, and so on), stable resonance at others (1:1, 3:2, ...).

www.spaceguarduk.com...
en.wikipedia.org...

It is also probably no coincidence that due to some ratios of orbits being stable and some not, that the distances of the planets from the sun follow Bode's law. An interesting exception to Bode's law is Neptune, which also has an retrograde rotation and a very inclined axis of rotation, which indicate something might have happened to it. This thing might or might not be related to Pluto and Triton's retrograde orbit.

It is also believed that the earth-moon system was formed because two planets, one a little smaller than earth and another Mars sized planet, were orbiting around the sun in an unstable resonance that ultimately caused them to collide.

[edit on 2-7-2005 by Simon666]

Originally posted by Whiskey
its funny pluto is even classified as a planet... isn't it more like a chunk of ice smaller than most of the solar system's moons?

i also to reckon thats but pluto has a moon and it is very strange how a small planet can hold a moon the gravity must be good,i myself have thought of pluto having other life forms on it i thought that ever since i heard the words pluto and E.T,but thats not of this case,but my main point is that pluto cannot be a moon because it has a moon of it's own but then again it could be a moon,with another moon

Pluto is only called a planet for the sake of tradition. It is now known that it is a large Kuiper Belt Object (KBO). Hope that helps you out.

Originally posted by T_Jesus
Pluto is only called a planet for the sake of tradition. It is now known that it is a large Kuiper Belt Object (KBO). Hope that helps you out.

You say "known", this is not true. Some astronomers suggest Pluto may be a moon of Neptune that escaped. Others say Pluto may simply be the largest ice dwarf from the Kuiper Belt that wandered in between the other planets. The origin of Pluto is still uncertain.

The answers simple.

We have to stop ripping each other off, stop playing the dreary petty power games, stop using our economic systems to consign people to God-aweful lives and start genuinely working together.

Then we get to go and look. Properly. At it all.

Sooner or later we will, I'd rather sooner myself.



[edit on 2-7-2005 by sminkeypinkey]

Actually Pluto's orbit isn't somehow special, it follows same laws than any other object, something has just caused it to have such orbit.

Remember that comets can have orbit whose aphelion is many times farther than Pluto while in perihelion they can be closer to sun than Mercury.

Originally posted by Simon666
It is also believed that the earth-moon system was formed because two planets, one a little smaller than earth and another Mars sized planet, were orbiting around the sun in an unstable resonance that ultimately caused them to collide.

Actually that impactor might have borned in same orbit as Earth, in one of two Lagrange points.
www.space.com...

I have nothing to back up this idea it is pure speculation, but maybe some cataclysmic event took place in our solar system ages ago, and screwed with Neptunes orbit, played with her moons, put Pluto in place, AND knocked Uranus on her side. There so many strange anomalies out there I really have to wonder if perhaps some of them are connected.

Originally posted by E_T
Actually Pluto's orbit isn't somehow special, it follows same laws than any other object, something has just caused it to have such orbit.

It has a 3:2 orbit resonance with Neptune. That is not unrelated nor an ordinary relationship.

Originally posted by E_T
Actually that impactor might have borned in same orbit as Earth, in one of two Lagrange points.

That's a nice new theory. In the article however it stated that this theory still needed to be reviewed and submitted.