Geography · Astronomy
Why are retrograde orbits of some moons around gas giants considered strong evidence of gravitational capture rather than natural in-situ formation?
Verified Solution4 OptionsUpdated: October 2026👁️1 View
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- 1They appear only around terrestrial planets rather than gas giants
- 2Moons formed in-situ from a primordial disk would orbit in the same direction as the planet's rotation✓
- 3Such orbits are completely dynamically unstable and short-lived over thousands of years
- 4Retrograde motion directly contradicts Kepler's laws of planetary motion
Correct answer
Moons formed in-situ from a primordial disk would orbit in the same direction as the planet's rotation
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