Are we dependent on the other orbiting planets in our solar system?
Asked by
prude (
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)
July 19th, 2009
I understand that we are dependent on our sun and our satellite (the moon), but are dependent on the others like mars or venus?
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17 Answers
I don’t think so because they don’t provide us with anything, we just have gravity to thank that we don’t crash into them.
Jupiter catches a lot of asteroids on the way to the inner circle and by that decreases the probability of terrestrial impacts.
Exactly. Jupiter acts like a cosmic vacuum cleaner. No Jupiter, most likely no life on Earth.
@mattbrowne
I disagree. Higher lifeforms may not have evolved, but primitive life, bacteria, algae and the lot, i don’t see a problem there.
I ain’t an astrologist or anything, but it’d make sense if someone said that the other planets’ gravity keeps our own planet in a sort of equilibrium, counter-acting the Sun’s massive pull. Without the outer planets’, I could imagine the Earth being drawn to the Sun at such high speed that temperatures would rise at an immense pace; life wouldn’t have been able to exist. Wouldn’t stand a chance, really.
They likely affect our planet in ways we don’t completely understand yet.
@Grisaille
astronomist.
astrologists make horoscopes.
@ragingloli Exactly why I could never be one. ;_;
How embarrassing.
@Grisaille I am an Aries, and we Aries don’t believe in Astrology.
@ragingloli You are absolutely correct about Jupiter, and to a lesser degree, the rest of the solar system. The moon, of course, is our greatest protector, but all the planets take one for the team.
Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, jerks.
@Grisaille, I am afraid that’s not how physics works…
That’s what I was saying. I have very limited knowledge on the subject. Hell, I made the (horrible, idiotic) mistake of confusing a pseudoscientist with, you know, a real one.
I think God will take care of that:)
@ragingloli – Point taken. Simple life might develop even without Jupiter. Have you read the book ‘Rare Earth Hypothesis’?
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