Spring 2010 Astronomy 110 MWF 9:30 &mdash 10:20

4. FORMATION OF PLANETARY SYSTEMS

The solar system's rich and varied structure points to its formation from a gas cloud collapsing due to self-gravity some 4.5 billion years ago. In this proto-solar system, small grains of solid mater clumped together, eventually producing the planets we see today. Other stars with planets have now been observed; a wide variety of planetary systems can arise when stars form.

Reading

Please read all subsections of each section below.

6.1 A Brief Tour of the Solar System
6.2 Clues to the Formation of Our Solar System
6.3 The Birth of the Solar System
6.4 The Formation of Planets
6.5 Other Planetary Systems

Online

  1. Complete the Formation of Planetary Systems assignment, due on Monday, 8 Feb 2010 at 9:00 am.

  2. Review the lecture slides.
Joshua E. Barnes      (barnes at ifa.hawaii.edu)
Updated: 31 January 2010
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