Solar System & Earth Formation

A series of vocabulary flashcards created from the lecture notes on the formation of the solar system and Earth.

Nebula

A cloud of interstellar dust and gas from which stars and solar systems are formed.

Protostar

The initial stage of a star's formation, where most of the mass concentrates in the center of a nebula.

Nuclear Fusion

The process where hydrogen atoms fuse into helium, releasing energy; occurs in a star's core.

Accretion

The process by which particles of dust and gas coalesce to form larger bodies like planets.

Supernova

A powerful and luminous explosion of a star that can trigger the formation of a nebula.

Terrestrial Planets

The inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) that are small and rocky with dense surfaces.

Gas Giants

The outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn) that are larger and composed mainly of gases.

Differentiation

The process by which a planet's interior separates into layers of different compositions.

Collision Theory

The hypothesis that the Moon formed from debris ejected after a collision between Earth and a Mars-sized body.

Exoplanets

Planets located outside our solar system, orbiting other stars.