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How do Eаrth аnd the other рlаnets іn the Solаr Syѕtem mаіntаіn theіr orbіt аround аn аxіs?

Each planet has its own unique rotation speed. For example, scorching Venus, the closest planet to the Sun, takes 59 Earth days to complete one rotation. Mars, on the other hand, takes about 24.6 hours to rotate, which is similar to Earth’s rotation period. Even Saturn, known for its distinctive rings, rotates while also lying on its side.

So, have you ever wondered WHY PLANETS CAN ORBIT AROUND AN AXIS?

To answer this question, we need to understand how the Solar System formed. Nearly 5 billion years ago, our Solar System was a massive cloud of dust and gas called a nebula. Through the force of gravity and other factors, this cloud collapsed and flattened into a gigantic disk, gradually spinning faster, much like how an ice skater spins faster when they pull their arms in (conservation of angular momentum). At the center, the Sun formed, while the remaining gas and dust coalesced into planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. The reason why all planets orbit the Sun in the same plane and direction is that they all formed from this same disk.



During the process of planet formation, constant collisions between matter chunks caused them to spin. As a result, the inertia of the planets keeps them rotating on their own axes for billions of years. And they will continue to rotate until future collisions with other objects occur.