Formation of the solar

system

The beginning of the universe

The universe began about 13.8 billion years ago.
At the beginning of the universe, also referred to as the big bang.
There were no planets or stars.
There were only a few light elements like hydrogen and helium
formed due to the big bang.
Before planets and stars there was just energy and mainly hydrogen
and helium in gas form.

Stars formation
Due to gravity and electric forces gas particles are attracted to each
other. This lead to the formation of large gas clouds called nebulas.
As the gas cloud contracts under gravity it spins fast due to the
conservation of angular momentum. This heats up the gas.

If the cloud of gas is large and hot enough stars can begin to form.
Stars are made up of mostly hydrogen and helium gas.

Jeans instability
Refers to the conditions needed for a gas cloud to collapse so that
stars and its orbiting bodies can begin to form.
1st winds from nearby stars compress gas and dust into clouds.
2nd the explosive force of nearby supernovas compress regions of dust
and gas.
3rd pairs of clouds collide and compress each other.

Abundance of elements
The amount of observed matter in the universe today is:
98% hydrogen and helium which makes up the stars.
2% all other elements that makes up everything else. (debris, planets,
people, and everything else in the universe)

Creation of the elements

If only mostly hydrogen and helium gas were around where did all of
the heavier elements that make up every thing else in the universe
come from?

At the center of a star there is extreme heat and pressure. These

conditions at the center are great enough for elements to undergo
nuclear fusion.
Fusion is a nuclear reaction where two elements fuse together to
make larger elements, as well as releasing large amounts of energy.

Death of a star
Different size stars have different endings to there life span.
Some very large stars end in a violent explosion called a supernova.
As a result of a supernova all the heavier elements that we created at
the suns core are thrown into space.

Dust and debris

From the birth and death of stars heavier elements are in space.
These heavier elements begin to form dust. Dust comes together to
form larger debris like meteoroids, asteroids, comets, and moon-sized
bodies.

Planet formation
Large debris can collide, stick together and form larger bodies.
This is how a planet can form, mainly through collisions of debris until
a very large body is formed.

Main factor to solar system formation

The main factor to the forming of a solar system are:
Gravity
Rotation
Heat
Collisions
Our solar system formed about 4.6 billion years ago

Nice model
This model is for our solar system formation.
It states that in the outer solar system Jupiter formed first, followed by
Saturn, and then Neptune and Uranus.
It also states that the strong gravity of Jupiter and Saturn flung Neptune
and Uranus into there current orbits.
This model also states that Jupiter as it passed through the asteroid belt
dispersed most of the debris there making it impossible for planets to form
in that region.

Inner planets
The inner planets starting from the closed to the sun are Mercury,
Venus, Earth, and Mars.

Outer planets
The outer planets starting from closest to the sun are Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, and Neptune.

Asteroid belt
The asteroid belt is located between Mars and Jupiter.
It is a belt of debris like meteoroids, and asteroids.

Kuiper belt
The Kuiper belt is beyond the last planet Neptune.
Like the Asteroid belt it contains debris like meteoroids, and asteroids.
Unlike the asteroid belt however, the Kuiper belt contains larger
objects called dwarf planets like Pluto.

Definition of solar system objects

Sun or start: a ball of hot gas at the center of a solar system.
Planets: a planet must (1) orbit the sun, (2) be massive enough so its
own gravity causes it to have a spherical shape, and (3) have strong
enough gravity to clear its area of debris.

Dwarf planets: meet the first two conditions of a planet listed above
but not the third.

Definition of solar system objects

Moon or satellite: an object orbiting a larger body that in turn is orbiting
the sun.
Asteroid: debris that is mostly rock and metal and is larger than about 10
meters.
Meteoroid: debris that is mostly rock and metal and is smaller than about
10 meters.
Comet: debris that is made up of about the same amounts of ice and rock.