Arrange the following solar system bodies in order of increasing average orbital inclination:
A) long-period comets, short-period comets, planets, and the asteroid belt.
B) planets, the asteroid belt, short-period comets, and long-period comets.
C) the asteroid belt, planets, long-period comets, and short-period comets.
D) long-period comets, short-period comets, the asteroid belt, and planets.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Planets generally have low orbital inclinations, reflecting their formation from a flattened disk of material around the Sun. The asteroid belt also has a relatively low average inclination, but it is slightly more inclined than the planets. Short-period comets, which originate from the Kuiper Belt, have higher inclinations on average. Long-period comets, coming from the Oort Cloud, have the highest inclinations, often with orbits significantly inclined to the ecliptic plane.

Arrange the Following Solar System Bodies in Order of Increasing