Most of the collapsing mass collected in the center, forming the Sun, while the rest flattened into a protoplanetary disk out of which the planets, moons, asteroids, and other small Solar System bodies …

The solar system as we know it began life as a vast, swirling cloud of gas and dust, twisting through the universe without direction or form. About 4.6 billion years ago, this gigantic cloud was transformed …

As we have seen, the comets, asteroids, and meteorites are surviving remnants from the processes that formed the solar system. The planets, moons, and the Sun, of course, also are the products of the …

This illustration shows the steps in the formation of the solar system from the solar nebula. As the nebula shrinks, its rotation causes it to flatten into a disk.

Aug 29, 2022 · The solar system is a pretty busy place. It’s got all kinds of planets, moons, asteroids, and comets zipping around our Sun. But how did this busy stellar neighborhood come to be? Our …

Nov 27, 2025 · The current approach to the origin of the solar system treats it as part of the general process of star formation. As observational information has steadily increased, the field of plausible …

Aug 24, 2025 · The formation of the Solar System is believed to have begun about 4.6 billion years ago from a giant cloud of gas and dust known as the solar nebula. This cloud collapsed under its own …

All of the main building blocks for life -- carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen (CHONs) -- were present in the cloud that collapsed to form our solar system. Ultimately, this concentration of gas and dust …

Apr 12, 2025 · Dive into solar system formation. Learn how the sun was made and how our planets were born from cosmic dust.

Dec 20, 2020 · The formation of the solar system is a challenging puzzle for modern astronomy and a terrific tale of extreme forces operating over immense timescales. Let's dig in.