How does a solar system form?

I wonder how a solar system forms? I want to know more about it, but I would like the general picture and not that of our solar system in particular.

Asker: Jane, 11 years old

Answer

Dear Jarne,
A planetary system, such as our own solar system, actually arises together with the star around which those planets orbit. Stars form when huge clouds of gas and dust contract and break up into ever smaller pieces. After all, those pieces will contract so strongly that a star can form in the center. During that contraction, that cloud also starts to rotate more and more. The star that arises will therefore also rotate. For example, our own sun rotates on its axis every approximately 27 days. Small fragments are created from the matter around the star that revolve around the star and can clump together to form larger planets. This is how our own solar system was formed 5 billion years ago.
By looking at how our solar system was formed, we also get a very good idea of ​​how planetary systems in general originate. After all, our solar system is not a special case in any astronomical field. So we can assume that our solar system is representative of other planetary systems.

For example, you can find descriptions in Dutch at:

http://www.urania.be/ Sterrenkunde/solar system/ontkomen.php

http://www.spacepage.be/articles/the-solarsystem/139-the-solarsystem-general/185-the-origin-of-the-solar system

just take a look at them with your parents, because it’s not really easy.

How does a solar system form?

Answered by

prof.dr. Paul Hellings

Department of Mathematics, Fac. IIW, KU Leuven

Catholic University of Leuven
Old Market 13 3000 Leuven
https://www.kuleuven.be/

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