The Origin

of the Solar
System
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Prepared By:
Michelle Bernadette R. Co
Objective
At the end of the lesson, you will be
able to describe the different
hypotheses explaining the origin of
the Solar System, specifically the
Nebular Theory, the Encounter
Theory, and the Protoplanet Theory.
Solar System
•The solar system is composed of the
Sun, the planets and their satellites,
the comets, and the asteroids.
•Has been formed around 4.6 billion
years ago, and members of the solar
system have a fairly uniform age.
Nebular Theory
•The solar system originated
from a nebula.
•Before, the nebula is
stable, it is believed that a
nearby supernova resulted
in the disruption of a
nebula.
•This disruption created areas of high
density, and as these areas were
formed, gravity acted, pulling other
materials to it. The denser the nebula
became, the more heat it produced
that resulted in the formation of the
Sun.
Nebular Theory
•At first, the Sun looked like a disc
(imagine a CD), and as it rotates,
most of its mass fused in the center.
•As the Sun forms, the remaining
particles that were not sucked up by
the Sun formed as rings.
• These rings of particles
rotated and combined
to form planets.
• As it forms, the denser
materials, such as iron
and nickel, sank and the
less dense materials,
such as gases, floated
to the atmosphere of
the formed planets.
Terrestrial & Jovian
Planets
 TERRESTRIAL PLANETS
Terrestrial planets, including
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars,
were formed because only the
materials with higher densities and
melting points were able to form
near the very high temperature of
• composed of Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus, and
Jovian
Neptune, planets
• huge planets made up of
gases without land
surfaces.
• These planets were formed
farther from the Sun
because the temperature
away from the Sun was
cool enough for gases to
Nebular Theory

The origins of the Nebula

Theory can be credited
to Emmanuel
Swedenborg, Immanuel Kant,
Encounter Theory
• Proposed by Georges
Leclerc and Comte de
Buffon explains that the
solar system formed as a
result of a near collision
between a passing star
and the Sun.
 Encounter Theory
• As the star passes near the Sun, the
materials of both the Sun and the star
were drawn out. The interaction from
the gravity of the passing star and the
Sun led to the formation of the planets
in the solar system.
Encounter Theory
• It is believed that the materials from the
Sun are denser. This explains the
positions of the terrestrial planets near
the Sun. In contrast, the materials from
the passing star are less dense; thus,
explaining the positions of the Jovian
Protoplanet Theory
The Protoplanet Theory is a modified
version of the nebular hypothesis. Just like
the nebular theory, protoplanetary
theorists Carl von Weizsäcker and Gerard
Kuiper believed that the solar system
started from a nebula.
Protoplanet Theory
• An unidentified instability resulted in the pulling of
dust particles toward each other. This led to the
formation of the “planetesimals

Planetesimals combined with

other planetesimals and
formed protoplanets
 Protoplanet Theory
• As the protoplanets formed, like the Sun, they became
larger as other materials condensed with them until the
fusion of hydrogen and helium happened. This fusion
led to the production of the heat of the Sun and resulted
to the blasting off of the protoplanets made up of gases.
• The smaller protoplanets were attracted by the gravity
of the larger protoplanets and made them larger until
they became the planets as we know it.
 Summary
•The Nebular Theory explained that the Solar System
originated from a nebula that was disrupted by a nearby
supernova.
•The Encounter Theory suggests that the Solar System
formed as a result of a near collision between a passing
star and the Sun.
•The Protoplanet Theory is a modified version of the
nebular hypothesis stating that the Solar System started
from a nebula that was disrupted which led to the
 Reflection
After learning about the theories
explaining the origin of the solar
system, what theory do you believe
the most? Explain your answer.