<p>Those two comets happen to have large orbital inclinations to the Ecliptic: 117$^\circ$ for
<a href="http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;object_id=C%2F1858+L1" rel="nofollow">C/1858 L1 (Donati)</a>
and 162$^\circ$ for
<a href="http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;object_id=1P" rel="nofollow">1P/Halley</a>.
Long-period comet orbits are oriented essentially at random, suggesting that they originate in the
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oort_cloud" rel="nofollow">Oort cloud</a>,
a sphere several thousand AU from the Sun.
Many <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet#Orbital_characteristics" rel="nofollow">short-period</a>
comet orbits are inclined only a few degrees to the Ecliptic,
suggesting origins in the
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scattered_disc" rel="nofollow">scattered disc</a>,
a torus several tens to a few hundred AU from the Sun.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-23T21:44:50.450Z
The fact that short-period comets tend to have small inclinations (and orbits that are prograde like planets and asteroids) is taken as evidence that they originate from a flattened, rotating distribution: e.g., the Kuiper Belt.
Peter Erwin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-23T23:23:35.693Z
Noted. The scattered disc seems to be favored over the proper Kuiper belt.
Mike G
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-24T02:02:41.943Z
It seems *the disk* isn't a torus, it's a disk. Instead, *the belt* is the torus: "[The innermost portion of the scattered disc overlaps with a torus-shaped region of orbiting objects traditionally called the Kuiper belt…](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scattered_disc)" 2nd paragraph.
uhoh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-24T02:26:26.707Z
"...but its outer limits reach much further away from the Sun _and further above and below the ecliptic_"
Mike G
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-24T02:31:37.097Z
OK so is the disk a torus?
uhoh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-24T02:34:29.163Z
That's how I read it. TNO experts welcome to chime in.
Mike G
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-22T05:13:23.287Z
2016-09-23T22:43:06.387Z
2016-09-23T22:43:06.387Z
Mike G
<p>Two typical comets that I know are Donati's and Halley's. So comets also have orbits, but are their orbits on the same plane (such as the ecliptic) as the other planets? </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-22T06:28:42.960Z
Answered in the section on orbital characteristics in https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet
ProfRob
<planet><orbit><comets>
Do comet orbits lie in the same plane as the other planets?
CoolKid
# Do comet orbits lie in the same plane as the other planets?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-09-22)

Two typical comets that I know are Donati's and Halley's. So comets also have orbits, but are their orbits on the same plane (such as the ecliptic) as the other planets?

**Tags:** planet, orbit, comets
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Answered in the section on orbital characteristics in https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-09-22. Score: 6

Those two comets happen to have large orbital inclinations to the Ecliptic: 117$^\circ$ for
[C/1858 L1 (Donati)](http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?utf8=%E2%9C%93&object_id=C%2F1858+L1)
and 162$^\circ$ for
[1P/Halley](http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?utf8=%E2%9C%93&object_id=1P).
Long-period comet orbits are oriented essentially at random, suggesting that they originate in the
[Oort cloud](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oort_cloud),
a sphere several thousand AU from the Sun.
Many [short-period](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet#Orbital_characteristics)
comet orbits are inclined only a few degrees to the Ecliptic,
suggesting origins in the
[scattered disc](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scattered_disc),
a torus several tens to a few hundred AU from the Sun.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: The fact that short-period comets tend to have small inclinations (and orbits that are prograde like planets and asteroids) is taken as evidence that they originate from a flattened, rotating distribution: e.g., the Kuiper Belt.  
> **username_2**: Noted. The scattered disc seems to be favored over the proper Kuiper belt.  
> **username_4**: It seems *the disk* isn't a torus, it's a disk. Instead, *the belt* is the torus: "[The innermost portion of the scattered disc overlaps with a torus-shaped region of orbiting objects traditionally called the Kuiper belt…](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scattered_disc)" 2nd paragraph.  
> **username_2**: "...but its outer limits reach much further away from the Sun _and further above and below the ecliptic_"  
> **username_4**: OK so is the disk a torus?  
> **username_2**: That's how I read it. TNO experts welcome to chime in.  

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