Answer 1:
The planet's orbit is mainly determined by the
gravity between the sun and the planet and the
initial state of the planet (by "initial state of
the planet" I mean the planet must be in
motion. Of course, the gravitation from other
planets close to the subject planet could also
play a minor role. Because the mass of the sun
is dominating, compared to the other planets
(for example those planets including Earth in the
solar system), the gravitation between the sun and
the subject planet pretty much determines the
planet's orbit.
The initial state of the planet, I mean the
planet must be in motion, otherwise the
gravitation alone would pull the planet into the
sun. Then the orbit is not going to happen, or
last long.Given the motion of the planet, then
the gravitation between the sun and the planet
keep the motion, which is the orbit. Basically
the gravitation and its initial motion determines
the orbit. Also, as a reminder, the mass and the
distance between the sun and the planet determine
the gravitation. All of those factors play a role
in setting up the motion and the orbit of the
planet around the sun.
Best,
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Answer 2:
The sun's gravity affects the orbits of all of
the planets in the same way. It is the reason
why planets orbit the sun at all, instead of just
coasting off into space. The closer a planet is
to the sun, the stronger the sun's gravity
becomes, which is why planets close to the sun
move faster in their orbits than planets far from
the sun, but the physics are the same for any
planet.
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