The planets in the solar system were formed through a process known as accretion. This process began about 4.6 billion years ago when a massive cloud of gas and dust called the solar nebula collapsed under its own gravity. As the nebula contracted, it began to spin faster and flatten into a spinning disk.
In the center of this disk, a protostar formed, which eventually became the Sun. Around the protostar, small particles of dust and ice started to collide and stick together, forming larger and larger objects called planetesimals. These planetesimals continued to collide and accumulate more material, eventually growing into the planets we see today.
The inner planets, including Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, formed closer to the Sun where the heat and solar wind prevented lighter materials from accumulating. As a result, these planets are primarily composed of denser rocks and metals.
The outer planets, such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, formed farther from the Sun where the temperatures were lower, allowing lighter gases like hydrogen and helium to accumulate. These gas giants are mostly made up of these gases, along with some rocky cores.
Overall, the formation of the planets in the solar system was a gradual process of material accumulation and collisions over hundreds of millions of years.
How were the planets in the solar system formed?(1 point)
1 answer