Gravity plays a fundamental role in causing planets to move in orbits (which are generally elliptical, not perfectly circular) around the Sun, as well as in governing the motion within star systems. Here's a detailed explanation:
Law of Universal Gravitation: Isaac Newton's law of universal gravitation states that every mass attracts every other mass with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This means that any two massive objects, such as a planet and the Sun, will exert gravitational forces on each other.
Orbital Motion Around the Sun: When a planet like Earth orbits the Sun, it is essentially falling towards the Sun due to the Sun's gravitational pull. However, because of its tangential velocity (speed and direction of motion), the planet is also moving sideways fast enough that it continually "misses" the Sun, resulting in a curved path rather than falling directly into it. This balance between the inward gravitational pull and the forward motion causes the planet to orbit in an elliptical path around the Sun.
Centripetal Force and Gravity: The force of gravity acts as the centripetal force required to keep the planet in its orbit around the Sun. According to Newton's laws of motion, any object moving in a curved path (like a planet in orbit) must be experiencing a centripetal force directed towards the center of its path. In the case of planets orbiting the Sun, this centripetal force is provided by the gravitational force between the planet and the Sun.
Elliptical Orbits: While the orbits of planets are often described as circles for simplicity, they are actually elliptical (oval-shaped) due to the fact that the force of gravity varies inversely with the square of the distance between the planet and the Sun (or any central body). This variation means that planets travel faster when closer to the Sun (perihelion) and slower when farther away (aphelion) in their elliptical orbits.
Role of Gravity in Star Systems: Beyond the motion of planets around the Sun, gravity plays a critical role in the dynamics of entire star systems. In multiple-star systems (binary or multiple star systems), the gravitational interaction between stars can influence their orbits around each other. Similarly, gravity governs the motion of objects like asteroids, comets, and dwarf planets within the gravitational field of the star(s) they orbit.
Stability and Dynamics: Gravity not only determines the paths of celestial bodies but also dictates the stability and long-term evolution of star systems. For instance, the overall structure of galaxies, clusters of stars, and the distribution of matter in the universe are profoundly shaped by gravitational interactions over cosmic timescales.
A planet moves around the sun in a circular path for which the gravitational force of attraction on the planet by the sun provides the necessary centripetal force. This centripetal force is always directed towards the centre of the sun at each point of its path which is responsible for circular motion of planet. To move in a curved path, a planet must have acceleration toward the center of the circle. This is centripetal acceleration and is supplied by the mutual gravitational attraction between the Sun and the planet. The gravity of each object pulls on every other object. The more massive the object, the stronger the pull. The sun is by far the most massive object in the solar system, so its gravitational field is the strongest, which is why planets orbit the sun. Gravity causes the motions of planets, stars, and galaxies. It's why the Moon orbits around the Earth, and the Earth orbits around the Sun, and the solar system orbits around the galaxy. It's all because of gravity. Gravity is the reason stars and planets are spherical. To move in a curved path, a planet must have acceleration toward the center of the circle. This is called centripetal acceleration and is supplied by the mutual gravitational attraction between the Sun and the planet. Gravity is the force that keeps planets in orbit around the Sun. It's an attractive force that pulls objects towards each other. In the case of a planet and the Sun, the Sun's gravity pulls the planet towards it. At the same time, the planet is moving forward due to its own inertia. The force of gravity pulls a planet toward the Sun. Inertia keeps a planet moving in a forward direction. When the force of gravity balances a planet's inertia the result is circular motion. A planet needs to be moving at just the right speed to stay in orbital motion around the sun.