This video demonstrates the motion of the barycenter of all the planets of the Solar System. Its trajectory relative to the Sun is shown, which lies almost in the same plane in which the planets themselves move.
It is easy to see that the barycenter (center of mass) of the planets is always located near Jupiter. This is due to the fact that the mass of Jupiter is almost 2.5 times the mass of all other planets combined. At the same time, the center of mass is shifted towards the ringed Saturn, which is the second largest and second most massive among the planets of the Solar system. The video shows that this barycenter does not lie on the line connecting Jupiter and Saturn. It is slightly shifted to the side depending on the position of Uranus and Neptune in their orbits. The inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) have very little effect on its position.
In April 2023, the video was published showing the motion of the Sun relative to the barycenter of the entire Solar System, which is located next to the Sun, because it is in the star that the vast majority of the mass of the entire system is concentrated. In fact, the trajectory of the Sun relative to the center of mass of the entire Solar System coincides with the trajectory shown in this video. Only it is mirrored and smaller in size by as many times as the Sun is more massive than all the other planets combined.
Sometimes the barycenter of planets passes very close to the Sun. This happens when Jupiter and Saturn are on opposite sides of the Sun. One of the most interesting passages of the center of mass of planets near the Sun will take place in February 2169. All the planets will line up almost in one line, which happens extremely rarely. Our descendants will witness this event…
Modeling and rendering were performed by author of this publication using own software. The calculations took into account the mutual influence of the Sun, all the planets of the Solar System and the Moon. Relativistic effects were also taken into account in the calculation.
The track Arpeggio by Piotr Hummel sounds in this video. This track was not changed. Attribution 4.0 International license.
