Formation of the Solar System

➢ It is a small number of stars (most widely recognized as

astronomical objects, and represent the most fundamental
building blocks of galaxies.) that orbit each other bound by
gravitational attraction. It is also called stellar system.
 Star Formation
➢ Star Formation shapes the appearance of the Universe and provides the
sites for planets.

1. Initial collapse of an interstellar cloud.

2. The cloud fragments into clumps . The fragmentation is related to
turbulence in the collapsing cloud.
3. The clumps collapse into a stars.

NOTE: The solar system is a type of star system because the sun is a star.
➢ The solar system is a group of objects that interact with
one another, the fundamental interaction for each object
being the one it has with the Sun.
The following are the theories that explain the origin of Star
Systems:
A.) THE NEBULAR HYPOTHESIS
B.) THE PLANETESIMAL THEORY
C.) THE TIDAL THEORY
➢ The hypothesis was developed by Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)
and Pierre-Simon Laplace (1749-1827) in the 18th century.

➢ The most accepted theory among the three.

➢ It presupposes that around 4.5 billion years ago, a star system

was formed from rotating cloud of gas – or nebula – of
extremely hot gas.

➢ When the gas cooled, the nebula began to shrink and became
smaller. It rotated fast and cast off rings of gas forming disk-
like shape.
➢ As the nebula continued to shrink, the rings condensed into
various densities of planets and their satellites.

➢ The remaining part of the nebula, which has the most mass,
formed the sun.
➢ Proposed by Viktor S. Safronov (1917-1999) in 1941 and
developed by T. C. Chamberlin (1843-1928) and F. R. Moulton
(1872-1952).

➢ The theory states that in the early period of the solar system,
planets were formed from the accretion of small space bodies.

➢ The gravity of the space bodies attracted space objects until

the effect of their gravity was reduced due to the accretion
which also increased the size of the planetesimals.

➢ The theory describes the formation of the planets as asserted

in the nebular hypothesis.
➢ Developed by James Jeans (1877-1946) and Sir Harold Jeffreys
(1891-1989).

➢ According to the theory, a star passed close to the sun where

the tidal force or the secondary effect of gravitational pull
between the passing star and the sun drew large amount of
matter.

➢ Some of the drawn out matter quickly cooled to become solid

bodies called planetesimals.
➢ Others grew in size because of colliding and sticking together
with passing objects in space, eventually forming larger
clumps and gathering more and more matter.

➢ This theory is also backed up by old

meteorites found on earth, chemically
dated back to about 4.5 billion years, the
time approximated to be the formation of
the solar system.
➢Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are called inner
planets or terrestrial/ telluric planets because they
have developed other materials such as silicate rocks
that now make up their internal structure.
➢Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune are called outer
planets or gas planets. They are called gas planets
because they are made up of just primary materials that
make up the sun which are Helium and hydrogen.
➢Terrestrial planets are smaller compare to gas planets.
 Sun
•The Sun is a star at the center of our solar
system.
•It is estimated to be 4.5 billion years old.
•It supports all life on Earth through
photosynthesis and is the ultimate source of
all food and fossil fuel.
•It is 333,400 times more massive than the
Earth (this means that 333,400 Earths can
make up the Sun).
•99.86% of all the mass of the solar system is
found in the Sun.
•The core of the Sun is 16 million °C.
•The surface of the Sun is 7000° C
•It takes several hundred thousand years for photons to escape from the dense core and
reach the surface.
 Nuclear Fusion in the Sun
The Sun is basically a huge ball of hydrogen gas held together by
the gravity created by its own mass. Under the intense pressure
created at the center of the Sun by gravity, hydrogen atoms are
fused together to produce helium. Very simply stated, four hydrogen
atom are fused into one helium, however one helium atom has less
mass than four hydrogen atoms. The fusion process releases enough
energy to account for the lost mass.
The energy released by nuclear fusion in the Sun's core heats the
Sun. The hot Sun radiates light into space, warming the Earth and
the other planets.
 Mercury
Relative position: 1st planet out from the sun.
Appearance: Resembles Earth's Moon, scarred
by thousands of impact craters. There are
areas of smooth terrain as well as cliffs,
some soaring a mile high, formed by ancient
impacts.
General composition: Rocky material. It is a
terrestrial planet.
Atmosphere: Almost no atmosphere. The very
little atmosphere that exists is composed
chiefly of oxygen, sodium, and helium.
Mercury named after the Roman Messenger
to the Gods
Size: .054 the volume of the Earth
Planetary satellites (Moons): None
Rotation: 58.65 days (very slow rotation)
Revolution: 88 days to go around the Sun once.
Temperatures: High: 467 °C on the sunny side of the planet. Low: -183 °C on the dark side of the planet.
 Relative position: 2nd planet out from the sun.

Venus
Appearance: It is covered by thick, rapidly
spinning clouds. Due to its thick cloud layer
reflecting sunlight, it is the brightest planet in
the sky
General composition: Rocky material. It
contains an iron core and a molten rocky
mantle. The crust is a solid, rocky material. It
is a terrestrial planet.
Atmosphere: Consists mainly of carbon dioxide,
nitrogen, and droplets of sulfuric acid; it
contains almost no water vapor. This thick
atmosphere traps immense amounts of heat in a
large-scale greenhouse effect.
Size: .88 the volume of the Earth
Planetary satellites (Moons): None
Rotation: -243 days (retrograde)
Revolution: 225 Earth days. Its day is longer than
its year.
Venus

• Also known as the Veiled Planet

• Brightest and Hottest
• Sister or twin planet of the Earth
• Movement is clockwise
• 1 day = 244 days
 Earth
Relative position: 3rd planet out from the sun.
Appearance: The Earth looks blue and green from
space with clouds moving through the atmosphere.
The surface of the Earth is 70% water and 30% land.
General composition: Rocky material. It is a terrestrial
planet. It has a nickel-iron core with a molten mantle
and solid rocky crust.
Atmosphere: Mostly oxygen (21%) and nitrogen (78%).
Some argon, carbon dioxide, and water vapor.
Size: 40,000km (24,8000miles) around at the equator.
Planetary satellites (Moons): 1 - The Moon
Rotation: 23 hours, 56miutes (1 day)
Special feature: Earth sustains life as Revolution: 365.25 days
we know it. Water exists in all three
states (solid, liquid , and gas) on the
Earth. There is a delicate balance ➢ Day and Night happens because it keeps on Rotating
between its oceans, air, land, and life. to its axis.
 • The Moon is the Earth’s only natural satellite.

• The Moon contains no water and has no atmosphere

The Moon (Luna) • Its has about 1/6 the mass of the Earth, therefore it has
1/6 the gravitational pull of the Earth.

• It is 384 401 km from the Earth.

• It takes 27.32 days to orbit the Earth once.

• The gravitational pull of the Moon is responsible for

the Earth’s tides.

• The surface of the Moon is covered with craters and

flatlands. The craters are due to repeated meteorite
bombardments while the dark, flatlands are the result
of ancient lava flows.
 Relative position: 4th planet out from the sun.

Mars
Appearance: Mars appears red due to the iron oxide in its soil.
It has polar ice caps that grow and recede with the seasons,
and it has dust storms, which cause giant dunes, wind
streaks, and wind-carved features.
General composition: Rocky material. It is a terrestrial planet.
Atmosphere: Mostly carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and argon.
Size: .149 times the volume of the Earth.
Planetary satellites (Moons): 2 Moons
Rotation: 24 hours, 33 minutes.
Revolution: 686.67 days.

➢ Mars named after the Roman Gods of War

➢ Size is half the Earth
➢ Gravity is half the Earth
Special Features: Mars has the largest volcanic mountain in the solar system, Olympus Mons
(27 km high and 600 km across); that are so huge they deform the planet's roundness;
 Moons of Mars
Phobos Deimos

Gouged by a giant impact crater and

beaten by thousands of meteorite It is also heavily cratered with a
impacts, Phobos is on a collision small lumpy appearance.
course with Mars. It may collide
with Mars in 50 million years or
break up into a ring.
 Jupiter
Relative position: 5th planet out from the sun.
Appearance: It is sometimes called a “mini-solar system”
because of its numerous moons and several rings.
Jupiter appears striped because light and dark belts are
created by strong east-west winds.
General composition: It is a gas giant, meaning it is
mostly made of gases. Jupiter's core is probably not
solid but a dense, hot liquid with a consistency like thick
soup.
Atmosphere: Mostly hydrogen, helium and methane.
Size: 1316 times the volume of the Earth. It is the planet
with the highest gravity in the solar system.
Planetary satellites (Moons): 63 Moons; some of them
Special Feature: The Great Red Spot has existed for at least have been named and some have alphanumeric
100 years, and perhaps longer. It is a hurricane-like storm designations.
on Jupiter. (Galileo reported seeing a similar feature
nearly 400 years ago). Three Earths could fit across the Rotation: 9 hours, 54 minutes
Great Red Spot. Revolution: 11.86 Earth years
Jupiter ➢ Jupiter named after the Roman God
of Light, Sky and Weather
➢ Vaccum cleaner of the solar system
due to its gravity
➢ Rotation is 10 hours

> Now according to NASA Jupiter has 53

named moons and another 26 awaiting
official names. Combined, scientists now
think Jupiter has 79 moons.
 Moons of Jupiter
1. Io 17. Callirrhoe 33. Euanthe 49. Kore
2. Europa 18. Themisto 34. Euporie 50. S/2003 J2
3. Ganymede 19. Megaclite 35. Orthosie 51. S/2003 J3
4. Callisto 20. Taygete 36. Sponde 52. S/2003 J4
5. Amalthea 21. Chaldene 37. Kale 53. S/2000 J11
6. Himalia 22. Harpalyke 38. Pasithee 54. S/2000 J5
7. Elara 23. Kalyke 39. Hegemone 55. S/2003 J9
8. Pasiphae 24. Iocaste 40. Mneme 56. S/2003 J10
9. Sinope 25. Erinome 41. Aoede 57. S/2003 J12
10. Lysithea 26. Isonoe 42. Thelxinoe 58. S/2003 J15
11. Carme 27. Praxidike 43. Arche 59. S/2003 J16
12. Ananke 28. Autonoe 44. Kallichore 60. S/2003 J17
13. Leda 29. Thyone 45. Helike 61. S/2003 J18
14. Thebe 30. Hermippe 46. Carpo 62. S/2003 J19
15. Adrastea 31. Aitne 47. Eukelade 63. S/2003 J23
16. Metis 32. Eurydome 48. Cyllene
 Relative position: 6th planet out from the sun.
Appearance: Saturn has a large system of rings, and the
Saturn yellow and gold bands in its atmosphere are caused by
super-fast winds combined with heat rising from its
interior.
General composition: It is a Gas giant, meaning it is
mostly made of the gases hydrogen and helium.
Density: .70 gm/cm3 (This low density means that
Saturn could float on water if there was a body of
water big enough).
Atmosphere: Mostly hydrogen and helium.
Size: 755 times the volume of the Earth.
Planetary satellites (Moons): 60 Moons; some have
been named and others have alphanumeric
Special feature: Saturn's ring system is the most
extensive and complex in our solar system; it extends designations
hundreds of thousands of kilometers from the planet. Rotation: 10 hours, 38 minutes
The rings are mostly water ice with particles ranging in Revolution: 29.45 Earth years
size from a few micrometers to several tens of meters.
Saturn ➢ Saturn named after the Roman God
of Farming/Agriculture
➢ Storms can continue for months or
years

> Saturn has 82 moons. Fifty-three

moons are confirmed and named and
another 29 moons are awaiting
confirmation of discovery and official
naming.
 Moons of Saturn
1. Mimas 16. Kiviuq 31. Narvi 46. Loge
2. Enceladus 17. Atlas 32. Methone 47. Skoll
3. Tethys 18. Prometheus 33. Pallene 48. Surtur
4. Dione 19. Pandora 34. Polydeuces 49. S/2004 S7
5. Rhea 20. Pan 35. Daphnis 50. S/2004 S12
6. Titan- Saturn’s 21. Ymir 36. Aegir 51. S/2004 S13
largest moon 22. Paaliaq 37. Bebhionn 52. S/2004 S17
7. Hyperion 23. Tarvos 38. Bergelmir 53. S/2006 S1
8. Iapetus 24. Ijiraq 39. Bestla 54. S/2006 S3
9. Erriapus 25. Suttungr 40. Farbauti 55. Greip
10. Phoebe 26. Mundilfari 41. Fenrir 56. Jarnsaxa
11. Janus 27. Albiorix 42. Fornjot 57. Tarqeq
12. Epimetheus 28. Skathi 43. Hati 58. S/2007 S2
13. Helene 29. Siarnaq 44. Hyrokkin 59. S/2007 S3
14. Telesto 30. Thrymr 45. Kari 60. Anthe
15. Calypso
 Uranus
Relative position: 7th planet out from the sun.
Appearance: It has a blue-green color from the methane gas
above the deeper clouds. Methane absorbs red light and
reflects blue light. It does have a small system of rings.
General composition: It is a Gas giant, meaning it is mostly
made of the gases hydrogen and helium, with a small
amount of methane and traces of water and ammonia. It has
no solid surface, but it does contain a liquid core made
mostly of “icy” materials (water, methane, and ammonia)
Atmosphere: Mostly hydrogen, helium, and methane.
Size: 52 times the volume of the Earth.
Planetary satellites (Moons): 27 Moons
Rotation: 17 hours, 11 minutes
Revolution: 84.02 Earth years
Special feature: Uranus’ axis is tilted so that it
seems to rotate on its side. This tilt gives it seasons ➢ Uranus named after the Roman God of Sky
that last over twenty years. ➢ Rings are made of dust particles
Moons of Uranus
1. Cordelia 15. Francisco
2. Ophelia 16. Ariel
3. Bianca 17. Umbriel
4. Cressida 18. Titania
5. Desdemona 19. Oberon
6. Juliet 20. Caliban
7. Portia 21. Stephano
8. Rosalind 22. Trinculo
9. Mab 23. Sycorax
10. Belinda 24. Margaret
11. Perdita 25. Prospero
12. Puck 26. Setebos
13. Cupid 27. Ferdinand
14. Miranda
 Relative position: 8th planet out from the sun.
Neptune Appearance: Neptune has a blue color because of the
methane in its atmosphere. The methane reflects blue
light while it absorbs red light. It has a small system of
rings and periodically Great Dark Spots (hurricane-like
storms) appear.
General composition: It is a Gas giant, meaning it is
mostly made of the gases hydrogen, helium, and
methane. It has no solid surface, but its liquid core is
composed of water and other “melted ices.”
Atmosphere: Mostly hydrogen, helium,and methane.
Size: 44 times the volume of the Earth.
Planetary satellites (Moons): 13 Moons
Special features: Neptune is actually the Rotation: 16 hours, 4 minutes
farthest planet from the Sun for a 20-year
period. Revolution: 164.79 Earth years
Neptune
➢ Neptune named after the Roman God
of Sea
➢ It has the Strongest wind
➢ Coldest planet in the solar system

> Scientists using powerful telescopes and

spacecraft have since discovered a total of
14 moons orbiting the distant world.
Moons of Neptune
1. Triton
2. Nereid
3. Naiad
4. Thalassa
5. Despina
6. Galatea
7. Larissa
8. Proteus
9. Halimede
10. Psamathe
11. Sao
12. Laomedeia
13. Neso
 Relative position: 9th planet out from the sun.
Appearance: A large frozen ball of ice.
Charon General composition: Rocky core surrounded by
water ice.
Density: 2.0 gm/cm3
Atmosphere: Frozen most of the time. When it
is closest to the Sun the bright layer of frozen
methane, nitrogen, and carbon monoxide
thaws out and gives it a thin atmosphere.
Size: .005 the volume of the Earth. It is the
planet with the lowest gravity in the solar
system.
Planetary satellites (Moons): 3
1. Charon
2. Hydra
3. Nix

Pluto (Dwarf Planet) Rotation: -6.39 days

Revolution: 247.9 Earth years
 • Asteroids are either rocky or metallic objects
that orbit the Sun. They are too small to
considered planets but are sometimes called
Asteroids planetoids.

• They can be anywhere from the size of a pebble

up to a 1000km (620 miles) in diameter; the
asteroid Ceres is an example of an asteroid that
is this large.

• They have been found inside Earth’s orbit and

all the way out past Saturn’s orbit. Most
asteroids, however, are located in the asteroid
belt which exists between the orbit’s of Mars
and Jupiter.
Asteroid Belt
  Comets - small, fragile, irregular-shaped
body composed of a mixture of non-volatile
Comets grains and frozen gases.

 Their orbits are elliptical (oval) or parabolic

(U-shaped). The orbit brings them in very
close to the Sun and swings them far out
into space, sometimes out past Pluto.

 As comets approach the Sun, radiation from

the Sun evaporates the ice and gases,
creating the lone tail. The closer to the Sun,
the longer the tail of the comet. The tail of
the comet always faces away from the Sun
because of the solar wind coming from the
Sun.
 • Meteoroids - asteroids that are on a collision

Meteors, Meteoroids, and

course with Earth.

Meteorites
• Meteor - streak of light created when a meteoroid
strikes our atmosphere at high velocity and
friction causes the chunk of space matter to burn
up.

• Meteorite - what is left that strikes the Earth’s

surface if the meteoroid does not burn up
completely.

• 92.8% of all meteorites are composed of silicate

(stone), and 5.7% are composed of iron and
nickel; the rest are a mixture of the three
Meteorite sample that is from the crust of materials.
the asteroid Vesta
• Stony meteorites are the hardest to identify since
they look very much like terrestrial rocks.
“Don’t assume instead
seek for answers.”
If you were an astronaut and there is
already advanced technology to travel to
different planets, which planet would
you first visit and why?