Re: Why don't the planets crash into each other?

Sara

The only planets whose orbits `cross' is Neptune and Pluto. The problem is that when drawing the orbits of planets on paper you cannot show the actual positions of these orbits as they are in space. Basically a piece of paper is 2 dimensional whereas space is 3 dimensional. Where Plutos orbit crosses Neptunes orbit it does not, literally, pass through the same point in space that Neptune will. It only looks that way on a flat piece of paper or a computer screen. The points where the orbits cross is seperated by a very large distance. To try and proove my point cut out two paper circles and cut half way into them. Now push the circles together long the cuts along the cuts you have made and tilt one circle. Make sure that the edges of the circles, their circumferences, do not meet. Now draw this on a piece of paper.

I hope that answers your question. Below are two we sites with slightly better drawings of how the planets look from outside the solar system. They also have excellent links to other sites with details on the solar system.

Solar System image 1
Solar System Image 2

Yours
Dave Barlow