Tag Archives: formation

From collapse to solar system

Once upon a time, there was a huge interstellar cloud of cold, low-density gas called the solar nebula. This solar nebula came about from billions of years of galactic recycling, and consists of about 98% hydrogen and helium and 2% other random elements. The solar nebula collapsed under its own gravity, and BOOM! the Sun […] Continue reading

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Blog 8: Planet Womb Discovery

Wombed Planet This weird picture is set to resemble a massive planet scientists have just discovered. This planet is about nine times the size of Jupiter, and its in its very early stage of formation. This star was discovered through the use of a Hawaiian telescope, and it was discovered floating “unusually far” from its […] Continue reading

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Theories of Moon Formation

In class we discussed one potential theory of the moon’s formation that is the favorite within the scientific community: the giant impact hypothesis. The theory states that a Mars-sized body (Theia) crashed into the Earth ejecting pieces of a young Earth’s rocky crust into space. Gravity from the remainder of Theia’s core drew these particlesContinue reading “Theories of Moon Formation” Continue reading

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The Formation of the Solar System

The general consensus amongst astrophysicists is that our solar system was formed through a process of gravitational collapse of a dense cloud. Over time, a large portion of the mass settled at the center, forming the Sun. The formation of the sun produced a swirling disk called a solar nebula. This disk of matter orbiting […] Continue reading

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The Formation of the Universe

This video is one of the coolest things I’ve watched in a while. We’ve talked a lot in class about the formation of the universe and while it all seems to make sense, the scale (of both size and time) are not easy to wrap your head around. What makes this video so cool is […] Continue reading

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Protoplanet Publicity

Scientists have located what they believe to be the first direct observation of a planet forming in its stellar womb of gas and dust. Using ESO’s Very Large Telescope, Sascha Quanz and an international team of scientists has been studying the young star HD 100546 and its surrounding gas. They were surprised when they spotted […] Continue reading

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The Sound of the Solar System!!

Recently I have started a new habit before bed, I try to watch one TED talk a night. I’ve really enjoyed this experience, and I have learned a lot about things I otherwise would never come across. I really love the variation in the talks, and it reminds me how much knowledge is out there! A few […] Continue reading

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