What Lies Below Earth? Exploring the Cosmos' Hidden Dimensions

Have you ever wondered what's below Earth? It's not just empty space.

Our Solar System: A Giant Pancake

Our solar system is like a giant pancake, with planets orbiting the sun in a flat plane. But what's beyond that plane?

Gravity and the Concept of Down

Gravity plays a big role in defining up and down.

• On Earth, down is toward the ground.
• But that changes depending on where you are.
• If you're in North America, down points toward the southern Indian Ocean.
• In the bigger picture, down could mean below the solar system's plane, called the ecliptic.

The Milky Way and Beyond

Our solar system is part of the Milky Way galaxy, which has its own plane.

• The Milky Way's plane is tilted about 60 degrees from our solar system's plane.
• The Milky Way is part of a larger group of galaxies, the Local Group, which has its own plane.
• This plane is almost perpendicular to the Milky Way's plane.

The Origin of These Planes

So, why do these planes exist? It all started with a cloud of gas and dust called the solar nebula.

• This cloud collapsed and flattened into a disc due to gravity and collisions.
• Over time, particles clumped together to form the sun and planets.
• Similar processes likely shaped the Milky Way and the Local Group.

The Arbitrary Nature of Down

In the end, there's nothing special about the direction we call down. It's just a way to describe the orientation of our solar system's plane.

Beyond that, there are other stars, planets, and galaxies with their own orientations.