Solar System Formation Theories

Small, rocky objects in space, mostly found between Mars and Jupiter.

Tiny building blocks of planets that formed from dust and gas in space.

Refers to rocky planets like Earth, Mars, Venus, and Mercury.

Large, gas-filled planets like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, also known as gas giants.

The process of particles coming together to form larger objects in space.

The four closest planets to the Sun (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars).

The four planets farther from the Sun (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune).

An outdated model of the universe that places Earth at the center.

All living things on Earth, including plants, animals, and microorganisms, and their ecosystems.

The frozen part of Earth, including glaciers, ice caps, and permafrost.

The outermost layer of the Earth's atmosphere that gradually fades into space, containing very sparse particles.

The solid part of the Earth, composed of rocks, soil, and the Earth's inner and outer layers, including the crust, mantle, and core.

Half of the Earth, either the Northern and Southern Hemispheres or the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

All the water on Earth, covering about 75% of the planet, found in oceans, rivers, lakes, groundwater, and glaciers.

The Earth's atmosphere, the layer of gases that surrounds the planet.

The Earth's surface layer, where the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere interact.

The region in Earth's upper atmosphere containing electrically charged particles. It helps transmit radio waves and supports satellite communication.

The rigid outer layer of Earth, consisting of the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle. It's broken into tectonic plates that move on the semi-fluid asthenosphere.

The area around Earth influenced by the planet's magnetic field, interacting with solar wind and cosmic particles. It helps shield Earth from harmful radiation.

The layer between the stratosphere and the thermosphere, where temperatures drop and meteors burn up before reaching the Earth's surface.

The layer above the troposphere, containing the ozone layer that absorbs and scatters ultraviolet radiation, protecting us from harmful rays.

The layer above the mesosphere, characterized by very high temperatures, where satellites orbit, and auroras occur due to ionized gases.

The lowest layer of the atmosphere where most of Earth's weather occurs. This layer is where you'll find clouds, rain, storms, and other weather phenomena.

A theory that explains the formation of the solar system from a rotating cloud of gas and dust. This cloud, called a solar nebula, collapsed, eventually forming the sun and planets.

A theory suggesting the solar system formed from collisions between celestial bodies. The debris from these collisions eventually combined to create planets and other solar system objects.

This theory proposes that the solar system formed from a spinning disk of gas and dust. This disk, called a solar nebula, had a bulge at the center that eventually became the sun. Over time, regions in the disk condensed to form planets.

This theory explains the formation of the solar system through gravitational interactions and tidal forces from nearby stars. This interaction caused the original solar nebula to be pulled and shaped, eventually leading to the formation of planets.