<p>I noticed something looking at the Longitude of the Ascending node of various planets.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Mercury:</strong> 48.331°</li>
<li><strong>Venus:</strong> 76.680°</li>
<li><strong>Mars:</strong> 49.57854°</li>
<li><strong>Jupiter</strong> 100.464°</li>
<li><strong>Saturn:</strong> 113.665°</li>
<li><strong>Uranus:</strong> 74.006°</li>
<li><strong>Neptune:</strong> 131.783°</li>
</ul>
<p>I noticed that the average Longitude of the Ascending node increases greatly after after the frost line, with Jupiter. Is there any physical law that makes them increase like this as they get further from the sun, or increase in semi-major axis? Or is it just coincidence? Uranus having less than Venus makes it seem like it may just be coincidence, but it is still above Mercury and Mars, so the idea of the average increasing still holds.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-29T09:01:44.177Z
The orbital nodes precess, so these values aren't fixed, so I'd guess "co-incidence", as in 100000 years of so, the values will be mixed up. It's also notable that al these values are less than 180, again I think coincidence.
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-30T01:57:53.187Z
Pure coincidence.
Pierre Paquette
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-30T20:49:15.320Z
Thank you, I assumed that it was coincidence due to Uranus, but just wanted to make sure there wasn't something I was missing.
DanceroftheStars
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-30T23:30:29.680Z
related and potentially helpful [Nodal Precession of Planets](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/q/43624/7982)
uhoh
<orbit><planet>
On the relationship between semi-major axis and the Longitude of the Ascending Node
DanceroftheStars
# On the relationship between semi-major axis and the Longitude of the Ascending Node

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-12-29)

I noticed something looking at the Longitude of the Ascending node of various planets.

* **Mercury:** 48.331°
* **Venus:** 76.680°
* **Mars:** 49.57854°
* **Jupiter** 100.464°
* **Saturn:** 113.665°
* **Uranus:** 74.006°
* **Neptune:** 131.783°

I noticed that the average Longitude of the Ascending node increases greatly after after the frost line, with Jupiter. Is there any physical law that makes them increase like this as they get further from the sun, or increase in semi-major axis? Or is it just coincidence? Uranus having less than Venus makes it seem like it may just be coincidence, but it is still above Mercury and Mars, so the idea of the average increasing still holds.

**Tags:** orbit, planet

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The orbital nodes precess, so these values aren't fixed, so I'd guess "co-incidence", as in 100000 years of so, the values will be mixed up. It's also notable that al these values are less than 180, again I think coincidence.  
> **username_2**: Pure coincidence.  
> **username_0**: Thank you, I assumed that it was coincidence due to Uranus, but just wanted to make sure there wasn't something I was missing.  
> **username_3**: related and potentially helpful [Nodal Precession of Planets](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/q/43624/7982)  

---

## 0 answers

