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Question
About the equilibrium of gravity that keeps the planets on their orbits; could this equilibrium be broken if a planet loses a satellite?
No, the equilibrium is maintained by gravity itself, as shown by Isaac Newton with his study of gravitation and the motion on objects in space. Elliptical orbits around a central mass like the Sun are quite stabile. The presence or absence of a satellite does not make much difference. It is very difficult to imagine any force that would knock a planet out of its orbit. David Morrison
NAI Senior Scientist
October 12, 2006
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