Skip to main content

Is the Solar System Stable?

  • Chapter
Chaos in the Cosmos
  • 170 Accesses

Abstract

For years one of the most formidable problems in astronomy has been the stability of the solar system. What is in store for it in the distant future? Will the planets continue to orbit smoothly as they have for billions of years, or will tiny changes gradually lead to chaos? And if chaos does arise what type of havoc would it cause? Would planets spin off to space? Would the Earth eventually become uninhabitable because of catastrophes, ice ages, and gigantic tidal waves? As we saw earlier many early scientific explorers were concerned with these problems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Bibliography

  • Kerr, Richard, “From Mercury to Pluto, Chaos Pervades the Solar System” Science 257 (July 3, 1992 ) 33.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Laskar, J., “A Numerical Experiment on the Chaotic Behavior of the Solar System” Nature 338 (March 16, 1989 ) 237.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Laskar, J., and Robutel, P., “The Chaotic Obliquity of the Planets” Nature 361 (February 18, 1993 ) 608.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Lecar, Myron, Franklin, Fred, and Murison, Marc, “On Predicting Longterm Orbital Instability: A Relation Between the Lyapunov Time and Sudden Orbital Transitions” The Astronomical Journal 104 (September 1992) 1230.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Quinn, Thomas, Tremaine, Scott, and Duncan, Martin, “A Three Million Year Integration of the Earth’s Orbit” The Astronomical Journal 101 (June 1991) 2287.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Sussman, Gerald, and Wisdom, Jack, “Chaotic Evolution of the Solar System” Science 257 (July 3, 1992 ) 56.

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Wisdom, Jack, “Urey Prize Lecture: Chaotic Dynamics of the Solar System” Icarus 72 (November 1987) 241.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1996 Barry Parker

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Parker, B. (1996). Is the Solar System Stable?. In: Chaos in the Cosmos. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3370-6_11

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3370-6_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-306-45261-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-3370-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics