| Laplace Plane |
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| planetary science | |
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It is used to describe the orbits of satellites of Gas Giant s. Roughly, the Laplace plane is the primary's Equator ial plane for those satellites orbiting close to the planet, and progressively warps or tilts towards the orbital plane of the planet for its outer satellites. However, in some cases, such as the outer satellites of Jupiter ( Ananke , Pasiphaë and the others), the perturbations induced by Saturn are sufficiently important to make the Laplace plane deviate from the simple description given here. Note also that the Laplace plane will fluctuate in synchronization with the primary's orbital cycle because of the Sun's influence. When the planet's equator is edge-on to the Sun (planetary equinox), the latter won't distort the plane, unlike when the planet is pole-on to the Sun (planetary solstice). |
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