parallel planet orbits?

[proevofanatik]

hi i am new to this forum and i have a little question that has been bothering me for a while. Do all the planets in our solar system have orbits parallel to each other? like you see in the diagrams. or is it a case that say earth orbits from east to west around the sun, do others orbit north to south ect?

 

[Technetium]

Planets are parallel but do slightly move above or below in a kind of wobble motion.

I know Pluto isn't classed as a planet anymore, but if you look at the orbit of it. It's much different.
http://www.daviddarling.info/images/Pluto_orbit.gif


This other image will give you a clear idea why we are parallel to other planets.
It's to do with the Suns gravity.
http://www.dukemagazine.duke.edu/dukema ... encebr.jpg
Ok that image is a little bad, just imagine no planets and look at the sun and the gravity shown. Hopefully you get the idea.

I understand what you mean, because of the different speeds of the planets they are usually scattered in reality.
So they look as if they could be going in any direction.

 

[MeteorWayne]

All the planets orbit in a relatively flat plane (Mercury is about 7 degrees inclined) in the same direction around the sun.

They aren't really parallel, since the orbits aren't completely circular, but the answer to the question I believe you asked is yes.

Viewed from above (say way above the north pole of the sun) they orbit counterclockwise (or anti-clockwise).

MW