+24 votes
in Astronomy by
edited by

Your answer

Your name to display (optional):
Privacy: Your email address will only be used for sending these notifications.
+16 votes
by

Not every planet, moon, or star has a "soccer-ball" shape. In fact, celestial bodies come in various shapes and sizes depending on several factors, including their composition, mass, rotation, and gravitational forces. Let's examine a few different cases:

  1. Planets: Planets in our solar system exhibit a wide range of shapes. Some, like Earth, have a roughly spherical shape due to their rotation, gravity, and internal pressure. However, other planets like Jupiter and Saturn are oblate spheroids, meaning they are more flattened at the poles due to their fast rotation. Irregularly shaped bodies, such as asteroids, also exist.

  2. Moons: Similar to planets, moons can have diverse shapes. Some moons, like our Moon, have a spherical shape due to their own gravity. However, irregularly shaped moons, such as Phobos and Deimos (moons of Mars), exist as well.

  3. Stars: Stars, including our Sun, have a spherical or near-spherical shape. The enormous gravitational forces in their cores generate high pressures that help maintain this shape. However, stars can experience various distortions due to factors such as rotation, stellar activity, and gravitational interactions within multiple-star systems.

It's worth noting that the "soccer-ball" shape you mention, with its characteristic pattern of hexagons and pentagons, is called a truncated icosahedron and is a geometric shape. It does not represent the natural shape of celestial bodies.

In summary, the shape of a planet, moon, or star depends on several factors, including its mass, rotation, composition, and internal forces. While some bodies may approximate a spherical shape, others can be oblate, irregular, or exhibit other variations. The specific shape of a celestial body is a result of complex interactions between its internal and external forces.

Welcome to Physicsgurus Q&A, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of the community.
...