Ask A Scientist© Astronomy Archive

Author:      jim vercouteren
What are the chances of Pluto and Neptune crashing into each other?

Response #:  1 of 1
Author:      rcwinther

Virtually zero.  Quoting from the text "The Solar System" by Encrenaz and
Bibring, (1990) "...Pluto never comes closer to Neptune than 2.5 thousand
million kilometers...  The fact that the periods of Neptune are in a simple
ratio is the result of a dynamical resonance that has been discovered
recently, and which corresponds to a stable state:  any modification of the
trajectory under the influence of an external perturbation would be followed
by a return to the present state of equilibrium."