Solar Nebula Theory

  • Creation Of Giant Gas Cloud
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    Creation Of Giant Gas Cloud

    According to the theory, our Solar System began about 4.57 billion years ago, as a giant cloud of molecular GAS and DUST.
  • Collapse of Cloud
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    Collapse of Cloud

    Scientists have not proven how, but the giant cloud collapsed within itself.
  • Solidifying of Denser Matter
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    Solidifying of Denser Matter

    From this collapse, pockets of dust and gas began to collect in the denser regions. This also formed PLANETESIMALS which are objects which solidify themselves with other objects.
  • Beginning of Rotation of Cloud
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    Beginning of Rotation of Cloud

    As the denser regions began to collect more and more matter, the cloud began to SPIN, while increasing pressure causing it to heat up.
  • Flattening of Protoplanetary Disk
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    Flattening of Protoplanetary Disk

    Most of the material formed a ball in the center, while the rest flattened out around it. The ball in the center formed the Sun, while the rest formed the PROTOPLANETARY DISK.
  • Formation of Large Pieces of Matter
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    Formation of Large Pieces of Matter

    Eventually, young planets were formed from small condensed pieces of matter. This happened one piece crashing nother to create larger pieces.
  • Creation of Terrestrial Planets
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    Creation of Terrestrial Planets

    Due to their higher boiling points, only metals and silicates could exist in solid form closer to the Sun, and these would eventually form the TERRESTRIAL PLANETS of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
  • Creation of Gas Giants
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    Creation of Gas Giants

    Because the atmosphere allowed for gaseous planets to form, the GAS GIANTS, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune formed of gas and small pieces of matter.
  • Leftover Debris Forms Asteroids
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    Leftover Debris Forms Asteroids

    Debris that never became part of a planet, became objects such as asteroids, CONDENSING and COLLIDING together to form larger asteroids.
  • Sun becomes Main-Sequence Star
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    Sun becomes Main-Sequence Star

    After 50 million years, the pressure and density of hydrogen in the middle of the PROTOSTAR became strong enough for it to begin thermonuclear fusion, meaning two or more nuclei FUSED together forming one. This caused the Sun to become the main-sequence star. After this, the Solar Wind swept away any remaining dust and gas, ending the planetary formation process in the SOLAR NEBULA.