U2L1 Understanding the Formation of the Solar System

Study Guide

Age of the solar system

4.5 billion years

solar system formation process

The collapse of this cloud created a spinning disk of material, where the sun formed at the center and the planets formed from the remaining material.

orbital direction

initial rotation of the sun and dust cloud determines the direction of the solar system

gravitational influence of the Sun

sun’s gravity helps keep planets in their orbits

astronomical unit(AU)

149.6 million kilometers from the Earth to the Sun

size and mass

The sun is the largest object in the solar system, about 333,000 times the mass of Earth. Despite being less dense than Earth, the sun’s mass creates a strong gravitational pull that keeps the planets in orbit.

structure of the solar system