What is the primary cause for the eccentric and tilted paths of objects within the scattered disc?
Answer
Gravitational interactions with giant planets
The scattered disc is populated by bodies whose paths have been altered by gravitational interactions. The giant planets, particularly Neptune, act as shepherds or scatterers for these smaller bodies. This process constantly reshuffles their paths, often pushing them into eccentric and highly tilted orbits that take them far away from the flat ecliptic plane.
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