Concept explainers
Choose the best answer to each of the following. Explain your reasoning.
How many of the planets orbit the Sun in the same direction as Earth does? (a) a few. (b) most (c) all
Number of planets orbiting Sun in the same direction as Earth.
Answer to Problem 1QQ
Option (b) Most planets possess same direction of motion as Earth does, revolving around the sun.
Explanation of Solution
Introduction:
Rotational motion possessed by any planet but in the direction opposite to that of the center(sun) is called retrograde motion and when a planet or satellite possesses same rotational direction of motion with its reference point (sun) is called prograde motion.
The direction of motion of the sun is counterclockwise like most of the planets except Uranus and Venus when observed from a high point of the North Pole of the solar system. Earth possesses prograde motion and the planets Venus and Uranus possess retrograde motion. Apart from these two planets, every planet rotates in a direction same as the Earth. The retrograde motion of Venus and Uranus is due to an asteroid hit which occurred billions of years ago.This caused the Uranus to be tilted with an angle of
Hence, all the planets beside Uranus and Venus rotate in direction same as Earth.
Conclusion:
Most planets possess the same direction of motion as Earth does, circling around the sun.
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