AST101H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 8: Formation And Evolution Of The Solar System, Interstellar Cloud, Giant Planet

• School: UTSG
• Department: Astronomy & Astrophysics
• Course: AST101H1
• Professor: Michael Reid

Document Summary

Our theory of solar system formation is important because it holds the key to understanding the nature of planets. Development of any scientific theory is an interplay between observations and attempts to explain those observations. Hypothesis can only rise to the status of a scientific theory if it offers a detailed, physical model that explains a broad range of observed facts. Belt: must explain the general patterns while at same time making allowances for exceptions to the general rules. Our modern theory of the solar system formation has undergone little modification (can be applied to other solar systems) which gives us confidence that the basic formation theory is correct. Nebular hypothesis-nebular theory after modification (theory of our solar systems birth) *likely to apply to the births of other solar systems as well. Solar nebula: the cloud of gas that collapsed on itself due to its own gravity and was the beginning of our solar system.