Download Chapter 19

Astronomy
Our Solar System
Chapter 29.4
Formation of our Solar System

Stars and planets
form from clouds of
gas and dust, called
interstellar clouds,
which exist in space
between the stars.
A Collapsing Interstellar Cloud

Our solar system
may have begun
when interstellar gas
started to condense
as a result of
gravity.
Sun and Planet Formation

The disk of dust and gas that formed the
Sun and planets is known as the solar
nebula.
GROWTH OF OBJECTS
–
Condensed
material started
to accumulate
and merge
together to form
larger bodies.
PLANETESIMALS
–
Planetesimals are
solid bodies,
reaching hundreds
of kilometers in
diameter, that
formed as smaller
particles collided
and stuck together.
ASTEROID BELT
–
Between Jupiter and
Mars
–
Jupiter’s
gravitational force
prevented them
from merging to
form a planet.
ASTEROIDS

Orbit the Sun
within the
planetary orbits
that are leftovers
from the
formation of the
solar system.
PIECES OF ASTEROIDS

A meteoroid is an
asteroid that falls
toward Earth and enters
Earth’s atmosphere.

A meteor is the streak
of light produced when
a meteoroid burns up in
Earth’s atmosphere.

A meteorite is part of
a meteoroid, that does
not completely burn up,
that collides with the
ground.
COMETS

small, icy bodies
that orbits around
the Sun and are
remnants from solar
system formation.

made of ice and
rock