Jahna Francine D.

Racelis 11-Excellence

EARTH SCIENCE

Different Theories about the Origin of Earth:

All planetary orbits should be roughly circular.

It's possible some planets are born with eccentric orbits, moving around their stars in
elongated ovals. But as a migrating planet spirals closer toward its star, gravitational
drag should smooth out its orbit, like an object circling a drain, Marcy said. The eight
planets of our solar system all have roughly circular orbits, and models of planet-forming
disks suggest most other star systems should be the same. In reality, though, only
about one in three of the known exoplanets has a circular or near-circular orbit.

With minor exceptions, everything in a star system should orbit in the same plane
and in the same direction.

The eight planets of our solar system orbit in the same direction along what's called the
ecliptic, a flat plane that's nearly aligned with the sun's equator. This makes sense if
planets take shape inside the flat disks of material that rotate around newborn stars.
Models are based on the notion that gravitational drag in these disks is the main
influence on planets as they migrate.

Based on this theory, planets should stay in the ecliptic and continue to follow their
stars' rotations. However, about one in three exoplanets' orbits are "misaligned." Some
orbit in the opposite directions as their stars' rotations, and others are tilted out of the
ecliptic, like weather satellites crossing over Earth's Poles rather than the Equator.
"Orbital inclinations are all over the map," Marcy said.
Source: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/02/110222-planets-formation-
theory-busted-earth-science-space/