Solar System

[Printer Bandit]

Go in the X,Y directions are you might run into a planet or asteroids.

But what about the Z direction?

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

None of the planets as far as I'm aware have a significant Z component to their orbit. You have the Oort cloud, various comets and asteroids and such, but most of the mass in the solar system orbits in one plane.

 

[Insomniator]

I miss Pluto

 

[John Connor]

Go in the X,Y directions are you might run into a planet or asteroids.

But what about the Z direction?

Ever since I was about 10 I have always wondered that. Just what is up and down?

 

[Pocatello]

I'm no scholar, but does it have to do with the rotation of the Sun? I remember something about angular momentum (high school physics class).

 

[Crono]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmNXKqeUtJM&list=UUUHW94eEFW7hkUMVaZz4eDg

 

[Pocatello]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmNXKqeUtJM&list=UUUHW94eEFW7hkUMVaZz4eDg

Good video.

 

[nettrader]

No one want to travel in space in the next years. Not including the international space station and other small trips.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth's_location_in_the_universe

 

[IronWing]

Winters are just too cold if your orbit goes over the sun's poles.

 

[Fritzo]

When you spin a ball on a string, notice how it stays within a plane parallel to the line motion? The same thing happens to the planets and most other things orbiting to the sun, only the "string" is the sun's gravity well.

There are a lot of small objects that orbit in the extreme z axis, but those are usually a result of some sort of collision.

 

[Markbnj]

The ecliptic plane, I believe, is defined as the plane of earth's orbit, i.e. we orbit at 0 degrees inclination. I'm pretty sure we're the only planet at exactly 0 degrees. Mercury is like 7 degrees, and pluto is way out.

 

[IronWing]

I miss Pluto

Pluto is where they built the secret base. Now they want us to forget the planet even exists.

 

[z1ggy]

The ecliptic plane, I believe, is defined as the plane of earth's orbit, i.e. we orbit at 0 degrees inclination. I'm pretty sure we're the only planet at exactly 0 degrees. Mercury is like 7 degrees, and pluto is way out.

Yup.

Going exactly along the Z axis in either direction wouldn't produce a collision with any planet.

I also found the rotational axis of the planets to be interesting as well. Cool how some are so different from ours.

 

[Jeff7]

Go in the X,Y directions are you might run into a planet or asteroids.

But what about the Z direction?

Go in the X or Y directions and you're almost certain to not hit a planet or asteroid. Fly through the asteroid belt blind and you are almost certain to make it through unscathed. More than half of the asteroid belt's mass is found in 12 asteroids.

 

[Gibsons]

Go in the X or Y directions and you're almost certain to not hit a planet or asteroid. Fly through the asteroid belt blind and you are almost certain to make it through unscathed. More than half of the asteroid belt's mass is found in 12 asteroids.

That can't be right. The possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1.

 

[DesiPower]

I miss Pluto

 

[zephyrprime]

Go in the X,Y directions are you might run into a planet or asteroids.

But what about the Z direction?

First, up and down is generally considered the y direction. Second - nothing is in that direction. Eventually you'd hit some other stars. Isn't this obvious?

 

[NikolaeVarius]

You also have to realize we don't exist in the universe "right side up". The sun actually travels through the milky way at like a 40 degree angle, along with the rest of the planets at that orientation.

 

[Fritzo]

That can't be right. The possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1.

Hey! Never tell me the odds!

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Hey! Never tell me the odds!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUAj1mUzxY0

 

[pete6032]

You also have to realize we don't exist in the universe "right side up". The sun actually travels through the milky way at like a 40 degree angle, along with the rest of the planets at that orientation.

Right. Our notion of up and down is arbitrarily set. This always made me wonder how all of the space ships in star trek just happened to all fly with their same side facing up, as it would be entirely possible to encounter an alien civilization where their notion of right side up was the exact opposite of ours and thus they would fly their ship 180 degrees flipped from how we fly.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Right. Our notion of up and down is arbitrarily set. This always made me wonder how all of the space ships in star trek just happened to all fly with their same side facing up, as it would be entirely possible to encounter an alien civilization where their notion of right side up was the exact opposite of ours and thus they would fly their ship 180 degrees flipped from how we fly.

if you're on a planet, there's very little that's open to interpretation concerning up and down. what your thinking of is a reference plane, and would apply to any 2 or more spaceships.

 

[Jeff7]

That can't be right. The possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1.

Well those are the individual fields found within the rolling plains of the Asteroid Belt. They're pretty dense, especially in the two weeks before harvest.

 

[SandEagle]

mvemjsunp

 

[Printer Bandit]

Mother, what are you serving nine of?

hello, mother?