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Do planets orbit each other counter clockwise or clockwise?

If looking from below?

Update:

If the planets rotate around a star they must have a top because they are spinning like a top.

8 Answers

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  • 5 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    In our solar system, as viewed from the south pole, they'd orbit clockwise...

  • ?
    Lv 7
    5 years ago

    Below what? "Below" is an entirely arbitrary distinction in space. You could go by the pole of the star, and decide that the south pole is "below". Yet the poles of our star flip about every 11 years....... In our solar system, going by OUR south pole, it would be clockwise. In another star system it could be reversed. They'd all be going in the same direction in each system though, unless one planet was a captured rogue planet. Like Neptune's moon Triton, which orbits Neptune in the opposite direction of its other moons. But for a planet to do that it would have to be captured from completely outside that star system. Whereas Neptune just nabbed a nearby asteroid/comet.

  • 5 years ago

    Planets don't orbit each other. They orbit the Sun. (or another star for other planetary systems)

  • 5 years ago

    Planets do not orbit each other, well not around here anyway. And what do you mean by "below"?

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  • 5 years ago

    There is no "below" in the sense you mean. Perhaps you are thinking of "from the South"? Then the planets orbit around the sun (not each other) in the clock-wise direction.

  • Tom S
    Lv 7
    5 years ago

    Planets orbit stars by definition, and the direction of rotation or revolution (of anything) depends on the location/orientation of the observer.

  • 5 years ago

    Yes, but that depends on your perspective of up/ down, above/below.

  • G0rdi
    Lv 6
    5 years ago

    Please define how you would determine "below" in space where there is no "up" or "down"

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