Why is the Solar System Flat?

Why HN readers recommended it

HN commenters link it as a quick, intuitive explanation of angular momentum and why spinning clumps of matter flatten.

This is a summary from the source dataset, not an endorsement by Hacker News or the video creator.

Video & recommendation details

Creator / channel

minutephysics

Topic

angular momentum and solar system formation

Format

explainer

Level

general

HN recommenders in dataset

3

HN mentions in dataset

3

Recommendation years in dataset

2014–2025

These counts and years describe the included Hacker News records; they are not YouTube views or the video’s publication date.

From the original HN conversations

Excerpts from the recorded comments. Follow each source for the full comment and surrounding discussion.

• It has to do with the total angular momentum of a system composed of multiple smaller bodies. (Like the dust/debris cloud during solar system formation) This minute physics video (about the shape of the solar system) explains it probably better than I can put into …

• I like this video from minutephysics to get an intuitive sense for it: [VIDEO] It addresses a different question (Why is the Solar System Flat?) but it touches on the question of why things spin when they clump together from gravity. An answer through the …

• Indeed. And to elaborate: the random collisions which flattened the solar system (or galaxy) over billions of years all conserved angular momentum. Minute Physics have a nice video on this: [VIDEO]