The Universe and the Solar System

Creation myth

A symbolic narrative of the beginning of the world as understood by a culture.

Alexander friedman and Geroges Lamaitre

Who were the proponents of the big bang theory?

Singularity

All the matter and energy in the universe are crammed into a tiny compact point

Inflationary Epoch

The universe expanded from the size of an atomic nucleus to 10³⁵ meter in width.

Formation of the universe (10⁶ s)

The universe continued to expand. It became distinct, possessing gravity, strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force, and electromagnetic force.

Quarks, electrons, photons, and neutrinos, among others.

At the first seconds, the universe was made up of fundamental particles and energy which are

Formation of the basic elements (3 s)

Protons and neutrons combined to form hydrogen nuclei. Then hydrogen nuclei began to combine in pairs to form helium nucleic.

Radiation era (10000 years)

Most of energy was in the form of radiation. These included different wavelengths of light.

Cosmic microwave background radiation

When X-rays, radio waves, and ultraviolet rays combined… it is called as

Matter Domination (300 000 years)

At this stage, lithium atom began to be formed. Electrons joined with hydrogen and helium nuclei to make small neutral atoms.

Strong force

Short ranged (10¹³) attractive force which binds the nucleus

Electromagnetic Force

Long range force that binds atoms which can either be attractive or repulsive

Weak Force

Short ranged force present in the radioactive decay

Gravitationak force

Weak, long ranged, and attractive force which binds the Solar System

Steady State Theory

Proposed by Bondi, Gold, and Hoyle in 1948.

The universe is unchanging in time and uniform in space.

Inflation Theory

Proposed by Alan Guth, Andrei Linde, Paul Steinhart, and Andy Albrecht

Proposed a period of exponential expansion of the universe prior to the more gradual big bang expansion

Dark Energy

The energy of the empty space; it causes the expansion of the universe to accelerate

Dark matter

Considered a hypothetical kind of matter that cannot be seen with telescopes

Graviton

A particle carrying the force of gravity

Descartes Vortex Theory

The solar system was formed into bodies with nearly circular orbits because of the whirl-pool like motion in the pre-solar materials

Buffons Collision Theory

Proposed that the planets were formed by the collision of the sun with a giant comet

Rene Descartes

The one who came up with the Descartes Vortex Theory

George Louis Leclerc and Comte de Buffon

They were the one who proposed the Buffon Collision Theory

Kant-Laplace Nebular Theory

Proposed the nebular theory which suggested that a great cloud of gas and dust, called nebula, begins to collapse because of gravitational pull.

Jeans-Jeffrey’s Tidal Theory

Proposed that the planets were formed from the substance that was torn out of the sun.

Asteroids

Made up of rocks and are sometimes referred to as minor planets in many ways.

Ceres

The first known asteroid

Comets

Composed mainly of ice and nonvolatile dust.

Kuiper belt

Often called the Solar System’s “final frontier” because it is at the outer most region of the solar system

200 years

Short period comets orbit the sun in less than a _____.

Oort cloud

Located farther than the Kuiper Belt and, therefore, remained unexplored

Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs)

Objects orbiting beyond Neptune

Terrestrial Planets

They are composed mostly of dense, rocky, and metallic materials

Jovian Planets

Referred to as gas planets and are made up of hydrogen and helium.

Frost line

The distance of the solar nebula from the protostar

Light elements

Remain gaseous inside the frost line where the temperatures are high

International Astronomers Union (IAU)

An organization responsible for the naming and nomenclature of the planetary bodies and their satellites, define planet as a “celestial body that is in orbit around the sun”