How are the planets in our solar system arranged in a specific order around the Sun, and how does their size play a role in determining that order?
In: 3
We don‘t know, it might be pure chance.
There are other solar systems where the gas giants orbit their stars at an extremely close distance, much closer than Mercury orbits the Sun. We call those planets Hot Jupiters: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Jupiter
We have also found solar systems without any gas giants. One example is TRAPPIST-1, a star that is orbited by seven Earth-sized planets: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRAPPIST-1
In short, there is no evidence so far that the planetary arrangement of our solar system is common or follows a certain logic. There is, however, a theory stating that life as we know it could only form because we live in a solar system with our arrangement. Jupiter catches a lot of comets and asteroids that could lead to extinction events on Earth.
Latest Answers