Why are satellites usually in the same orbital plane?

Subject: Why are satellites usually in the same orbital plane?

Date: Sun Jan 18 21:50:25 1998
Posted by Paul Shewmaker
Grade level: nonaligned
School: No school entered.
City: No city entered. State/Province: No state entered.
Country: USA
Area of science: Astronomy
ID: 885181825.As

Message:


Why are satellites usually in the same orbital plane?  (Jupiters moons
for example.)  If Comet Shoemaker-Levy were captured instead impacting 
Jupiter, would it eventually end up in the same orbital plane as the 
rest of the moons?  Likewise, will Pluto's eccentric and tilted orbit
eventually flatten and round out?

Re: Why are satellites usually in the same orbital plane?

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