Which planet is theorized to have an axial tilt close to the plane of the solar system due to early impacts?

Prepare for the IAC Red Set Science Bee Test. Review with flashcards, multiple-choice questions, and detailed explanations. Excel on test day!

Multiple Choice

Which planet is theorized to have an axial tilt close to the plane of the solar system due to early impacts?

Explanation:
Axial tilt is the angle between a planet’s rotation axis and a line perpendicular to its orbital plane. If the tilt is near 0°, the axis is almost perpendicular to the plane; if it’s close to 90°, the axis lies near the plane itself. Uranus has an extreme tilt of about 98 degrees, so its rotation is effectively on its side with the axis lying nearly in the orbital plane. This unusual orientation is widely attributed to a giant collision early in the solar system that knocked the planet over. The other planets on the list have much smaller tilts (Earth about 23.5°, Neptune around 28°, Mercury almost zero), so they don’t match the same collision-driven explanation.

Axial tilt is the angle between a planet’s rotation axis and a line perpendicular to its orbital plane. If the tilt is near 0°, the axis is almost perpendicular to the plane; if it’s close to 90°, the axis lies near the plane itself. Uranus has an extreme tilt of about 98 degrees, so its rotation is effectively on its side with the axis lying nearly in the orbital plane. This unusual orientation is widely attributed to a giant collision early in the solar system that knocked the planet over. The other planets on the list have much smaller tilts (Earth about 23.5°, Neptune around 28°, Mercury almost zero), so they don’t match the same collision-driven explanation.

More Multiple Choice Questions
Subscribe

Get the latest from Passetra

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy