Early planetary formation thought

In summary, the conversation discusses the possibility of planets forming before the Sun, and the potential for the Sun's gravitational pull and solar wind to affect planetary formation through Lagrange points. Ultimately, the question remains open for discussion and further research.
  • #1
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Greetings !

Some less popular theories, at this time,
suggest that planets formed or at least
began to form before the Sun had formed.
I'm not sure that I agree with that, but
it's worth remembering as another counter
example to the idea I just thought about.

Anyway, the idea I just thought about is:
Suppose that the planets formed after the
Sun(Sol) was formed. Now, is it possible
that the gravitational pull of the Sun on
the one hand and the pressure of the solar
wind and aspecialy solar radiation on the
other hand could've created certain La'grange
points for various types of ellements and
molecules in the early solar nebula that
could've somehow affected planetary formation ?
Or, were such points too far away for the powerful
emmissions of the early Sun which is also
why all the free matter got blown away into
our Oort cloud ?

All opinions are welcome. :smile:

Live long and prosper.
 
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  • #2
Greetings! Interesting theory! I hadn't heard of this before. It does seem like the gravitational pull of the Sun and the pressure of the solar wind and radiation could possibly create Lagrange points. However, it could also be that the powerful emissions of the early Sun were too far away to affect planetary formation and blew away the free matter into our Oort cloud. It's definitely an interesting question and I'm looking forward to hearing other opinions on this.
 

Question 1: What is the current theory on how planets formed?

The current theory on planetary formation is called the "nebular hypothesis." This theory suggests that planets formed from the same cloud of gas and dust that surrounded the early sun. The cloud collapsed under its own gravity, causing it to spin faster and flatten into a disk. Over time, the material in the disk clumped together to form planets.

Question 2: What evidence supports the nebular hypothesis?

There are several pieces of evidence that support the nebular hypothesis. First, observations of other solar systems have shown that they also have disks of gas and dust around their stars, providing a similar environment for planet formation. Additionally, the planets in our own solar system all orbit the sun in the same direction and on the same plane, which is consistent with the idea that they formed from a spinning disk.

Question 3: Were all planets formed in the same way?

No, not all planets were formed in the same way. The inner planets, including Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, are known as terrestrial planets and are made mostly of rock and metal. These planets likely formed through the accretion of solid material in the inner parts of the disk. The outer planets, or gas giants, such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, are mostly made of gas and ice. They likely formed by capturing gas from the outer parts of the disk.

Question 4: How long did it take for planets to form?

The exact amount of time it took for planets to form is still unknown, but it is estimated to have taken anywhere from 10-100 million years. This is based on the age of the oldest rocks on Earth, which give us a minimum age for the formation of our planet.

Question 5: Has the theory of planetary formation changed over time?

Yes, the theory of planetary formation has evolved over time as new evidence and observations have become available. The nebular hypothesis was first proposed by Immanuel Kant and Pierre-Simon Laplace in the 18th century, but it has been refined and modified by scientists over the years. With advancements in technology, such as space exploration and telescopes, we continue to learn more about the formation of planets and our understanding of it may continue to change in the future.

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