Question

Occasionally pluto's orbit will remain inside neptune's orbit for a period of about _______ years.

1) 10
2) 20
3) 30
4) 40

Answer 1

Pluto's orbit occasionally remains inside Neptune's orbit for about 20 years due to the difference in their orbital periods.

Step-by-step explanation:

Pluto's orbit occasionally remains inside Neptune's orbit for a period of about 20 years. This phenomenon occurs because of the different orbital periods of Pluto and Neptune. Pluto takes around 248 years to complete one orbit around the Sun, while Neptune takes about 165 years. Due to the interaction between their gravitational forces, there are periods when Pluto's orbit is closer to the Sun than Neptune's orbit, resulting in Pluto being inside Neptune's orbit for a certain duration.