OBJECTIVES:

 Describe the different hypothesis explaining the origin of the solar

system.
 Explain the current advancements/ information on the solar system
 The universe as we currently know it comprise all
space and time, and all matter and energy in it.
 The universe is at least 4.5-4.6 billion of years old.
 The solar system as part of the Milky Way is
located at the outer limb of the galaxy.
 The Great Chain of Origins:
Early Hypotheses
1) Catastrophic hypotheses
Example: passing star hypothesis:
Star passing the sun closely tore material out of the sun,
from which planets could form (no longer considered)
Catastrophic hypotheses predict:
Only few stars should have planets!
2) Evolutionary hypotheses
Example: Laplace’s nebular hypothesis:
Rings of material separate from the spinning cloud, carrying away angular
momentum of the cloud  cloud could contract further (forming the sun)

Evolutionary hypotheses predict:

Most stars should have planets!
 The Solar Nebula
Hypothesis

Basis of modern theory

of planet formation.

Planets form at the

same time from the
same cloud as the star.

Sun and our solar system

formed ~ 5 billion years ago.
Formation of the Solar System
Solar Nebula Theory Continued

 About 4.5 billion years ago it is believed that the Solar System
consisted of a large cloud of gas and dust, called a nebula.
 This cloud started rotating, and the dust particles combined to
form planetesimals. As the cloud rotated faster, it flattened, and
the planetesimals formed- Eventually forming planets.
 Initial composition:
-98% hydrogen and helium
-2% (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, silicon, iron)
Evidence that support the nebular hypothesis:

 Planets and moons revolve in a counter clockwise direction.

 Almost all planets and moons rotate on their axis in a counter
clockwise direction.
 Planetary orbits aligned along the suns equatorial plane.
Encounter Hypothesis:

One of the earliest theories

for the formation of the
planets was called the
encounter hypothesis. In
this scenario, a rogue star
passes close to the Sun
about 5 billion years ago.
Material, in the form of
hot gas, is tidally stripped
from the Sun and the
rogue star.
 Protoplanet
Hypothesis
in astronomical theory, a 
hypothetical eddy in a
whirling cloud of gas or
dust that becomes a planet
 by condensation during
formation of a solar
system.
The Solar system includes

 The sun, planets, moons, asteroids, comets, gases, solar wind.

 Survey of the Solar
System
Relative Sizes
of the Planets
Assume, we reduce all bodies
in the solar system so that the
Earth has diameter 0.3 mm.
Sun: ~ size of a small plum.

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars:

~ size of a grain of salt.
Jupiter: ~ size of an apple seed.
Saturn: ~ slightly smaller than
Jupiter’s “apple seed”.
Uranus, Neptune: ~ Larger salt grains.
Pluto: ~ Speck of pepper.
 Planetary Orbits
All planets in almost Orbits generally
circular (elliptical) inclined by no
orbits around the more than 3.4o
Mercury sun, in approx. the
Venus same plane
(ecliptic). Exceptions:
rs

Mercury (7o)
Ma

Sense of revolution:
er

Earth counter-clockwise Pluto (17.2o)

pit
Ju

Sense of rotation:

o
counter-clockwise

Plut
nus
n (with exception of

Ura
a tur Venus, Uranus,

e
S

tu n
and Pluto)

Ne p
(Distances and times reproduced to scale)
 Two Kinds of Planets
Planets of our solar system can be divided
into two very different kinds:

Terrestrial (earthlike) planets:

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
Jovian (Jupiter-like) planets:
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Comets

Icy nucleus, which evaporates

Mostly objects in highly elliptical orbits,
and gets blown into space by
occasionally coming close to the sun.
solar wind pressure.
Meteoroids

Small (mm – mm sized)

dust grains throughout
the solar system

If they collide with Earth,

they evaporate in the
atmosphere.

 Visible as streaks of
light: meteors.
The Age of the Solar System
Sun and planets should
have about the same age.

Ages of rocks can be

measured through
radioactive dating:

Measure abundance of a
radioactively decaying
element to find the time
since formation of the rock.

Dating of rocks on Earth,

on the moon, and
meteorites all give ages of
~ 4.6 billion years.
KMILY AWY

MILKY WAY
SOCMET

COMETS
BTSIOR

ORBITS
UNS

SUN
LASOR MSYTES

SOLAR SYSTEM
ETNPALS

PLANETS
STRILAERET

TERRESTRIA
L
VANIJO

JOVIAN
ETIMOETSR

METEORITES
TAOSREIOSD

ASTEROID