All Questions
4
questions
2
votes
2
answers
284
views
How to measure the ratio of a planet's radius to a star?
I was reading a physics problem related to astronomy, and upon re-reading it, I realized that it could be really indicated to extrapolate some really interesting physics-related information.
One of ...
- 439
0
votes
3
answers
366
views
Are moons always smaller than the planets they orbit?
I'm not a physicist, asking for knowledge. Is there any moon orbiting a planet, but bigger than that planet? If not, is it mathematically possible for a bigger object to orbit around a smaller object ...
- 113
0
votes
0
answers
31
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Could a 'pulsar-like' planet exist due to the following properties?
A planet has been discovered with a composition believed to be made up of diamond. If such a planet were to host a massive satellite of high eccentricity, it seems possible that the large tidal forces ...
- 487
29
votes
6
answers
14k
views
Why are the orbits of planets in the Solar System nearly circular?
Except for Mercury, the planets in the Solar System have very small eccentricities.
Is this property special to the Solar System? Wikipedia states:
Most exoplanets with orbital periods of 20 days ...
- 53.2k