Pluto Neptune question

[vi3tbomba]

Plute and Neptune has been in close orbit to each other a few times and it was estimated that this will not occur again until September 2226. I was wondering if it was ever calculated that maybe those two planets will collide with each other, that'd be an awesome event!

 

[formulaterp]

Actually the 2 planets were not that close at all. Until about 5 years ago, Pluto was closer to the Sun than Neptune. The 2226 date is probably when this will occur again. This is a result of Pluto's odd (actually not that odd) orbit which is inclined about 17 degrees from that of most of the other planets. The 2 orbits however, do not physically cross. Therefore it is impossible for them to collide. In fact the closest distance the 2 planets ever reach is more than twice the distance between the Earth and Jupiter.

 

[vogon13]

Pluto orbits the sun twice for every 3 times Neptune goes 'round (as do several other TNO) this relationship is stable and precludes dangerous interactions between Neptune and Pluto.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[thalion]

Trivia: Pluto gets closer to Uranus than it ever does to Neptune.