In more recent years, a lot of research has been dedicated to the idea of orbital degradation; that is, the theory that planar orbits can shrink. It is believed that the planar orbits were once much larger than they are today. Archival records show that celebrations centered around such crossings, such as Witchmoon, took place less frequently historically. What was once an event celebrated at the turn of the decade has become an event celebrated once a year. This suggests that the Feywild crosses over the Material Plane more often now than it did in the past, which could be due to a shrinking orbital track.
Although it is currently unknown what causes orbital degradation, there are theories. A popular hypothesis is that increased contact with other planes leads to orbital shrinkage. The prevailing belief in the field is that the main threat to orbits are tethered gateways; those that are open at all times and never dismissed. Not many tethered gateways exist, but researchers believe that each one makes a large impact on planar orbits.
