On the Inclination of Planetary Orbits

Abstract

Assuming that planets were formed in the equatorial plane of the Sun and that there was a small perturbation at the start, it is shown that relativistic effects could lead to the planetary orbit tilting observed. On the basis of this analysis, a prediction is made for the velocity of the planet Mercury out of its orbital 'plane'. This prediction is a lower limit. Further, this explanation may possibly provide a method for determining the solar angular momentum.