It is useful to summarize the characterisitics of our solar system as a precursor to discussing its formation. The solar system is disk-shaped implying that all planets have small orbital <1>. The orbits are nearly circular and all planets revolve <2> as seen from the NCP. All planets except Venus and <3> have a common direction of rotation. The planets can neatly be classified into two group -- terrestrial and jovian. Terrestrial planets have <4> densities and orbit <5> the sun. They also have <6> moons and no ring systems. Both stellar evolution theory and radioactive dating techniques suggest an age of <7> billion years for our solar system.
The solar nebula theory states that planets formed from a swirling disk of material which surrounded the protosun. As the disk slowly cooled, solid grains of material formed where the temperature was below the melting point of that particular substance. The condensation sequence explains how high density particles with <8> melting points formed in the inner solar system. Particles then increased in size one grain at a time in the process known as <9>. These building blocks known as planetesimals grouped together over time to form the planets. Much of the debris was cleared away after planet formation through the mechanisms of radiation pressure, the solar wind, gravitational slingshot, and planets sweeping up debris.
@ qu.1.1.blank.1=inclinations,eccentricities,obliquities,periods@ qu.1.1.blank.2=counterclockwise,clockwise@ qu.1.1.blank.3=Uranus,Saturn,Jupiter,Neptune@ qu.1.1.blank.4=high,low@ qu.1.1.blank.5=close to,far from@ qu.1.1.blank.6=few,many@ qu.1.1.blank.7=4.6,2.3,7.9,9.1@ qu.1.1.blank.8=high,low@ qu.1.1.blank.9=condensation,accretion,collection,asteroid formation@ qu.1.1.grader.1=menu@ qu.1.1.grader.2=menu@ qu.1.1.grader.3=menu@ qu.1.1.grader.4=menu@ qu.1.1.grader.5=menu@ qu.1.1.grader.6=menu@ qu.1.1.grader.7=menu@ qu.1.1.grader.8=menu@ qu.1.1.grader.9=menu@ qu.1.2.mode=Blanks@ qu.1.2.editing=useHTML@ qu.1.2.name=Solar System Survey #2@ qu.1.2.question=It is useful to summarize the characterisitics of our solar system as a precursor to discussing its formation. The orbits of planets in our solar are nearly circular implying that the planets have small orbital <1>. The orbits are nearly coplanar and all planets revolve <2> as seen from the NorbiCP. All planets except <3> and Uranus have a common direction of rotation. The planets can neatly be classified into two group -- terrestrial and jovian. Jovian planets have <4> densities and orbit <5> the sun. They also have <6> moons and ring systems. Both stellar evolution theory and radioactive dating techniques suggest an age of <7> billion years for our solar system.
The solar nebula theory states that planets formed from a swirling disk of material which surrounded the protosun. As the disk slowly cooled, solid grains of material formed where the temperature was below the melting point of that particular substance. The condensation sequence explains how low density particles with <8> melting points formed in the outer solar system. Particles then increased by several clumps combining in the process known as <9>. These building blocks known as planetesimals grouped together over time to form the planets. Much of the debris was cleared away after planet formation through the mechanisms of radiation pressure, the solar wind, gravitational slingshot, and planets sweeping up debris.
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