The Solar System Note

When did the solar system form?

4.6 billion years ago.

What is a Catastrophic Collision

A significant impact event that alters the physical characteristics of celestial bodies, such as the collision believed to have formed the Moon.

Jovian Planets

(Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) are gas giants and ice giants characterized by their massive size, composition primarily of hydrogen and helium, and the presence of rings.

Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs)

Objects located in the Kuiper Belt, which lies beyond Neptune, consisting mainly of icy bodies, including dwarf planets like Pluto and Eris.

Nebular Contraction

The process in which a giant molecular cloud collapses under gravity to form a star and planetary systems.

Planet Formation Method

The planets formed through a process known as accretion, where dust grains collided and stuck together, eventually forming larger bodies.

Role of Jupiter

Shaping the orbits of other celestial bodies due to its strong gravitational influence, affecting the distribution of asteroids and Kuiper Belt objects.

Composition of the Sun

Hydrogen (about 74%) and helium (about 24%), with trace amounts of heavier elements.

Planetesimals

particles in the protoplanetary disk, which coalesce to form planets.

Protoplanet Formation

Forms from the accumulation of planetesimals and gravitational interactions within the protoplanetary disk.

Fragmentation

The breaking apart of larger bodies into smaller pieces, which can become planetesimals or debris in a protoplanetary disk.

What causes different Planetary Compositions

They arise from varying distances from the Sun, temperature differences during formation, and the material available in their formation regions.

Nebula Composition

Gas (mostly hydrogen) and dust, often the remnants of previous stars and the building blocks of new stars.

Oort Cloud Composition

Billions of icy bodies, remnants from the early solar system, that have been influenced by the gravity of the Sun.

Frost Line Location

Between Mars and Jupiter in the solar system.

Effects at the Frost Line

Temperatures are low enough for volatile compounds like water and methane to freeze into solid ice, influencing the formation of gas giants and terrestrial planets.