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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.