Lesson 1.
Nebular Theory
explain the origin of the solar
1 system based on the nebular
theory;
describe how planets were
2 formed based on the nebular
At the end of theory;
the lesson,
you should identify the proponents of the
3 nebular theory; and
be able to:
enumerate the negative
4 implications of the nebular
theory.
• According to the Nebular Theory, the solar system originated
from a nebula.
• It is the widely accepted view about the formation of the solar
system some 4.5 billion years ago.
• A nebula is defined by NASA as
giant cloud of gas and dust in
space.
• This interstellar cloud of dust
contains hydrogen, helium and
other ionized gases.
Dusty discs surrounding nearby
young stars
• The formation of the solar
system from a nebula
occurs in three major steps:
(1) cloud collapse, (2)
formation of
protoplanetary disk, and
(3) growth of planets.
The Solar System
• Hypothetically, a shockwave from a supernova or the effect of
a passing star may cause a cloud collapse.
• The collapse at the center of the cloud due to gravity occurs
when gas pressure becomes insufficient to support the mass
of the cloud.
• The collapsed cloud of interstellar gas and dust results to a
smaller radius which means it will spin faster.
Cloud Collapse
• Metals and silicates could
exist near the sun
because these
compounds have higher
boiling points.
• As a result, terrestrial
planets were eventually
formed containing high
concentration of these Terrestrial planets. From left to right:
compounds. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
• The terrestrial planets
could not grow in huge
diameter because of the
limited reserve of metallic
elements in the solar
nebula.
Terrestrial planets. From left to right:
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
• Dust and grains surrounding the sun eventually formed
clumps. These clumps then accreted forming planetesimals.
• Planetesimal is a small celestial body that once collide
together, it tend to fused to form the planets of the solar
system.
Growth of planets in the nebular theory.
• Emanuel Swedenborg
• Immanuel Kant
• Pierre-Simon Laplace
Emmanuel Immanuel Pierre-Simon
Swedenborg Kant Laplace
• Particles surrounding Saturn repel each other which is contrary
to the assumption that dust particles will be attached to each
other forming a planet.
• It does not follow the law of angular momentum because if the
nebular theory is correct then the sun should be spinning at a
higher rate than the others.
• It did not consider Uranus and Venus, which rotates in a
clockwise direction while other planets rotates in a
counterclockwise direction.
● Nebular Theory, the solar system originated from a
1 nebula.
2 ● Nebula is a giant cloud of gas and dust in space.
● Nebular theory proposes that the solar system was
formed through three major steps: cloud collapse,
3 formation of protoplanetary disk and growth of
planets.
● Terrestrial planets are closer to the sun and have
higher metallic and silicate compounds. Jovian
4 planets are farther from the sun where the lower
temperature allows gas to condense.
● Nebular theory was proposed by Emanuel
5 Swedenborg, Immanuel Kant, and Pierre-Simon
Laplace.
● The nebular theory is weakened by attributes of
6 Saturn, the sun, Uranus, and Venus.
Rodney Holder and Simon Mitton. 2013. Georges Lemaître: Life, Science and Legacy, Germany: Springer
Science & Business Media.
John Chambers and Jacqueline Mitton. 2013. From Dust to Life: The Origin and Evolution of Our Solar
System, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Michael Mark Woolfson. 2012. Time, Space, Stars and Man: The Story of the BigBang, Singapore: World
Scientific.
J. Schombert. 2012. Origin of the Solar System. Accessed March 16, 2017
http://abyss.uoregon.edu/~js/ast121/lectures/lec24.html
D. Darling. 2016. Chamberlin-Moulton planetesimal hypothesis. Accessed March 16,2017
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/C/CMplanhypoth.html
● Slide 4: This file, SPHERE images a zoo of dusty discs around young stars by European Southern
Observatory (ESO), is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International via Wikimedia
Commons
● Slide 5: This file, Planets 2013 by Planet User is is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
International via Wikimedia Commons
