THE THEORIES &HYPOTHESIS EXPLAINING THE ORIGIN OF THE SOLAR

SYSTEM

Solar system- a solar system is a collection of eight planets and their moons, in orbit around the
sun, together with smaller bodies, in the form of asteroids, meteoroids and comets.

Out of the 8 planets in the solar system, there is 1 planet which is considered as a dwarf planet
because of its size and farthest from the sun. PLUTO

Sun- old yellow dwarf star. Hot glowing ball of hydrogen and helium. The center of the solar
system.
Moon- a large natural object that orbits or travels around the earth.

THE BIG BANG THEORY

The Big Bang theory is the leading explanation for how the universe began. It says that the
universe we know started with an infinitely hot and dense single point that inflated and
stretched. About 13.7 billion years ago, these tiny singularities violently exploded, from this
explosion, matter, energy, space, and time were created.

2 major parts of the universe:

RADIATION ERA- the stage of the universe development where radiant energy would have a
much larger density than that of matter. This era is made of smaller stages called EPOCHS.
 Planck epochs, grand unification epochs, inflationary epochs, electroweak epochs,
quarks epochs, Hebron epochs, lepton epochs, nuclear epochs

MATTER ERA- it is the presence and dominance of matter in the universe.

 Autonomic epochs, galactic epochs, stellar epochs
 HYPOTHESIS FOR THE ORIGIN OF PLANETS IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM

-Nebular Hypothesis of Laplace,

-The Planetesimal Hypothesis of Chamberlin and Moulton,
-The Capture Theory of See

NEBULAR HYPOTHESIS OF LAPLACE

-The most widely accepted model of planetary formation is known as the nebular hypothesis.
The nebular hypothesis is the idea that a spinning cloud of dust made of mostly light elements,
called a nebula, flattened into a protoplanetary disk, and became a solar system consisting of a
star with orbiting planets. The nebular hypothesis is the most widely accepted model in the
field of cosmogony to explain the formation and evolution of the Solar System (as well as other
planetary systems). It suggests the Solar System is formed from gas and dust orbiting the Sun
which clumped up together to form the planets

THE PLANETESIMAL HYPOTHESIS OF CHAMBERLIN AND MOULTON

-The Chamberlin–Moulton planetesimal hypothesis is another name for the Planetesimal
Hypothesis which was proposed by Thomas Chamberlin and Forest Moulton in 1905.
According to this hypothesis, the Solar System's planets were thought to have formed from a
collision between the Sun and another star. Planetesimal Hypothesis, a theory of the origin of
the solar system. It was proposed by Forrest R. Moulton and Thomas C. Chamberlin about
1900. The theory states that the planets were formed by the accumulation of extremely small
bits of matter planetesimals that revolved around the sun. a wandering star approached the sun
which resulted in the formation of a cigar-shaped extension of material that got separated from
the solar surface.

THE CAPTURE THEORY OF SEE

The low rotation speed of the Sun is explained as being due to its formation before the planets,
the terrestrial planets are explained by collisions between the protoplanets close to the Sun, and
the giant planets and their satellites are explained as condensations in the drawn out filament.
In 1909, he postulated capture theory or that the Moon had formed elsewhere in the Solar
System, like asteroids, but was captured by the gravitational force of the Earth when it flew too
close to the planet. The Moon then became trapped and now orbits the Earth.
 CHARACTERISTICS AND PROPERTIES OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Our solar system is a part of the Milky Way galaxy. It is a barred spiral galaxy between
100,000 and 120,000 light-years across. It contains between 200 and 400 billion stars. The
astronomer Edwin Hubble (1889–1953) confirmed the existence of galaxies beyond the Milky
Way and created a classification system. There are at least 170 billion galaxies in the
observable universe.
Our planetary system is located in an outer spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy.

Our solar system consists of our star, the Sun, and everything bound to it by gravity – the
planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune; dozens of moons;
and millions of asteroids, comets, and meteoroids. Beyond our own solar system, we have
discovered thousands of planetary systems orbiting other stars in the Milky Way.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Planets fall into two main categories:

-Small, rocky terrestrial planets near the Sun
- large, hydrogen-rich Jovian planets farther out
*The Jovian planets have many moons and rings made of rock and ice

2 types of solar system:

Terrestrial: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
Jovian: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

TERRESTRIAL- sometimes known as the inner, rocky, planets, these planets have the
following characteristics:
 Small size and mass
 High density
 Made mostly of rock and metal
 Solid surface
 Few to no moons
 No ring systems
  Closest to the sun

JOVIAN- sometimes known as the outer, gas giants, these planets have the following
characteristics:
 Large size and mass
 Low density
 Made mostly of hydrogen and helium
 No solid surface
 Many moons
 Ring systems
 Farthest from the sun

NEPTUNE AND URANUS are also sub-classed as ICE-GIANTS. Due to their lower
mass, lower size, lower amount of hydrogen and helium, and greater amounts of rock
and ice relative to Jupiter and Saturn.

PLANETARY RING SYSTEMS:

Planetary rings are those strikingly flat and circular appendages embracing all the giant
planets in the outer Solar System: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Like their cousins, the
spiral galaxies are formed of many bodies, independently orbiting in a central gravitational
field.
Large bodies in the solar system have orderly motions and are isolated from each other:
 All planets and most moons have nearly circular orbits going in the same plane
 The Sun and most of the planets rotate in this same direction as well
 Most moons orbit their planet in the direction it rotates

Swarms of asteroids and comets populate the solar system:

 Asteroids are concentrated in the asteroid belt
 Comets populate the regions known as the Kuiper belt and the Oort cloud

Space debris:
Space junk, or space debris, is any machinery or debris humans leave in space. It can refer to
big objects such as dead satellites that have failed or been left in orbit at the end of their
mission. It can also be referred to smaller things, like bits of debris or paint flecks that have
fallen off a rocket.
 LIFE-SUSTAINING PROPERTIES OF PLANET EARTH
Earth is unique
-Waters cover roughly 75% of the earth's surface with most of that water located in our planet’s
ocean. About a fifth of Earth’s atmosphere consists of oxygen produced by plants and trees. It
takes Earth 23.934 hours to complete a rotation. On the axis and 365.26 days to complete an
orbit around the sun- our days and years on Earth re defined by these gyrations.

What sets earth apart from other planets in the solar systems?
-earth is the only planet that hosts life and the only one in the solar systems with liquid water
on the surface. Earth is also the only planet in the solar system with active plate tectonics,
where the surface of the planet is divided into rigid plates that collide and move apart, causing
earthquakes, mountain, building and volcanism.

What makes our planet uniquely sustainable to host life?

- Earth has the right distance from the sun, such that liquid water has been stable in significant
volumes over much of the planet's lifetime. It has the right chemical ingredients for life ( e.g.
water and carbon) and chemical cycling (such as between the planets interior and oceans by
volcanism and other geological activity) provides chemical pathways for life to extract energy
to survive.

Earth’s chemical composition

-Earth's core consists mostly of iron and nickel and potentially smaller amounts of lighter
elements, such as sulfur and oxygen. The mantle is made of iron and magnesium-rich silicate
rocks(The combination of silicon and oxygen is known as silica, and mineral that contain silica
are known as silicate materials).

Sun: The sun has extremely important influences on our planet; It drives weather, ocean
currents, seasons, and climate, and makes plant life possible through photosynthesis.

Moon: The brightest and largest object in our night sky; the moon makes Earth a more livable
planet by moderating our home planet’s wobble on its axis, leading to a relatively stable
climate.

Gravity is very important to every living thing here on Earth. It holds down our atmosphere
and the air we need to breathe.
 THE SUBSYSTEMS OF THE EARTH

THE EARTH’S SYSTEM

-no sphere works on its own. All the spheres in the systems interact and overlap. These
subsystems relate with each other, shaping the Earth's physical and biological processes.

THE 4 SUBSYSTEMS
Geosphere: The geosphere refers to the solid, rocky part of the Earth. It includes the Earth's
crust, mantle, and inner core.
Biosphere: the biosphere includes all living organisms on Earth and the ecosystems in which
they exist.
Hydrosphere: The hydrosphere encompasses all of Earth's water, including oceans, rivers,
lakes, groundwater, and even water vapor in the atmosphere.
Atmosphere: The atmosphere is the layer of gases that surrounds the Earth. it includes gases
like nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor.

INTERACTIONS OF THE SUBSYSTEM

Hydrosphere-geosphere interaction: Water erosion carves out valleys and canyons in the Earth's
surface. Groundwater can dissolve minerals in the Earth's crust, forming caves and
underground reservoirs.
Biosphere-hydrosphere interaction: Aquatic ecosystems support various life forms and are
influenced by water quality and temperature. Plants and algae in water bodies produce oxygen
through photosynthesis
Atmosphere-hydrosphere interaction: Evaporation of water from the surface leads to the
formation of clouds and precipitation. Atmospheric conditions like temperature and pressure
influence weather patterns and ocean currents.
Geosphere-hydrosphere interaction: Volcanic eruptions release gases and particles into the
atmosphere, affecting climate and air quality. Weathering and erosion of rocks by atmospheric
elements shape the Earth's surface.
Biosphere-atmosphere interaction: Plants release oxygen through photosynthesis, affecting the
composition of the atmosphere. Animals breathe in oxygen and release carbon dioxide,
influencing atmospheric chemistry.
Biosphere-geosphere interaction: - Plant roots stabilize soil and prevent erosion.
Microorganisms can break down rocks and minerals, contributing to soil formation.