Dear jlf9922-ga,
Scientists have proposed different models to explain the formation of
the Solar System. This is the most widely accepted model: the nebular
model.
In this model, the planets are near to the same plane (called the
ecliptic) because they originated from a cloud of intersellar material
which, as it spun, was flattened along its rotational axis ending up
rather like a rotating pancake. Areas within the pancake then
contracted formed the Sun and the planets.
The Minnesota State University informs us that,
"In this model, a cloud of insterstellar gas and dust contracted to
form the sun and planets. The nebular model says that the sun and
planets formed from a flattened cloud of interstellar material. Clouds
of interstellar material have been observed throughout the universe.
These clouds spin, causing them to flatten along their rotational
axis. This accounts for the planets forming in the same plane. Gravity
also causes the cloud to collapse. During this process, the center
contracts into a ball of hot gas and dust. This will become the sun;
in this stage it is called a protosun.
The next process is accretion, which results in planet formation.
First, the gases outside of the sun condense into solid materials.
These particles collide forming larger particles called planetesimals,
which in turn collide and form protoplanets. These protoplanets then
become planets. The composition of the planets is a result of the
order of the solid materials that formed from the gases outside of the
sun. The jovian planets are large, with high gravitational fields, so
they accumulated much of the Hydrogen and Helium."
An animation of the process can be obtained through this link. You
will see there how the cloud flattens into a disc.
http://cougar.jpl.nasa.gov/HR4796/anim.html
This site displays the information in diagrams
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/solarsys/nebular.html
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/solarsys/forming.html
I should add that the planet Pluto is a special case in that its orbit
is the most highly inclined (18 degrees) and the most highly
elliptical of all the planets. This and other anomalies give rise to
other models which appear at
http://www.physics.gmu.edu/classinfo/astr103/CourseNotes/sls_hfrm.htm
Moving on to the Solar System?s position in the galaxy. It is believed
that our galaxy is a flattened disc which consists of spiral arms and
a bulge in the middle. Earth is located on one of these spiral arms
and it is believed to lie close to the galaxy?s ecliptic plane (about
20 light years above the equatorial symmetry plane but about 28,000
light years from the Galactic Center).
A diagram appears at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milky_Way
The astronomy café web site tells us that,
"The plane of the solar system, [...] is tilted about 60 degrees to
the plane of the Milky Way.[...] There is, by the way, no physical
reason why these two planes should be identical. Stars have their
rotation axis pointed at random in space, and the plane of the solar
systems that orbit them should also be oriented pretty much at random
with respect to the Milky Way."
http://www.astronomycafe.net/qadir/q31.html
Finally, as you may know, planets in other star systems have only
recently been discovered, but as yet it has not been established
whether similar systems exist with several the planets all on the same
plane. It will be interesting when these new discoveries are
announced.
Additional sources to answer this question were
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/ast99/ast99346.htm
http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/messier/more/mw.html
I hope this answers your question. If it does not, or the answer is
unclear, then please ask for clarification of this research before
rating the answer. I shall respond to the clarification request as
soon as I receive it.
Thank you
answerfinder
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"solar system" plane "milky way"
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"solar system" coplanar "milky way"
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