What prevents the gravity of the sun to pull all of the planets towards it?
A: The planets' speed as they orbit the sun.
B: The size and shape of the planets around the sun
C: The sun's weak gravity
D: The large distance of the planets from the sun.
D: The large distance of the planets from the sun.
The gravity of the sun does pull the planets towards it, but the planets also have a significant amount of forward momentum as they orbit the sun. This balance between gravity pulling the planets inward and their forward momentum keeps them in a stable orbit. Additionally, the large distance between the sun and the planets means that the force of gravity weakens with distance, allowing the planets to maintain their orbital paths without being pulled into the sun.