UCSB Science Line
Sponge Spicules Nerve Cells Galaxy Abalone Shell Nickel Succinate X-ray Lens Lupine
UCSB Science Line
Home
How it Works
Ask a Question
Search Topics
Webcasts
Our Scientists
Science Links
Contact Information
What factors keep a planet in orbit around the sun?
Question Date: 2016-09-21
Answer 1:

The reason why planets, such as Earth orbit around the sun is because of the pull of the sun's gravity. And the reason why it travels around the sun is due to Earth's velocity which is in the direction perpendicular to the force of the sun's pull. If we didn't have a sun, the Earth would just travel in a straight line. Imagine if superman were to throw a football with all his strength, it would keep going straight across the Earth which circles the Earth and will eventually hit him, that is basically what we are doing to the sun, we are the football and the earth's velocity is superman's strength. And the strength is hard enough so that gravity doesn't pull the football down to the ground. I am not sure, but I think the reason why we rotate is due to the Earth being at some certain angle.



Click Here to return to the search form.

University of California, Santa Barbara Materials Research Laboratory National Science Foundation
This program is co-sponsored by the National Science Foundation and UCSB School-University Partnerships
Copyright © 2020 The Regents of the University of California,
All Rights Reserved.
UCSB Terms of Use