SPRING WISRD MAGAZINE, VOL 6, ISSUE 2
most astronomers, the t ilt within the orbits of some bodies, mainly the Gas Giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) all have semi-t ilted and highly eccentr ic orbits. Saturn and the Ice Giants (Uranus and Neptune) all have an inclinat ion, or t ilt , of 2 degrees relat ive to the average plane of the Solar System, and all have eccentr icit ies of at least 5% in their orbits. Scient ists mainly believe this is due to the aforement ioned bombardment of the ear ly system. But rather than r iddle the
Gas Giants with craters, the bombardment , overt ime, warped their orbits into the not so perfect shape they have today. There are many theor ies as to how the Gas Giants formed but one of the best supported theor ies is that an or iginal rocky core formed, much like the planetesimals ment ioned before, although, dur ing their format ion these bodies that would soon become gaseous, were surrounded by gases, such as Hydrogen, Helium, Methane, and more. Eventually these gases
Diagram of Orbital Panes for Planetsand Dwarf Planets
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