ESCI Lesson 2 Origin of the Solar System PDF

Earth Science Lesson 2: Origin of the Solar System Learning Competency: Describe the different hypotheses explaining the origin of the solar system. (S11/12ES-Ia-e-2) Explain the current advancements/information on the solar syste...

Earth Science Lesson 2: Origin of the Solar System Learning Competency: Describe the different hypotheses explaining the origin of the solar system. (S11/12ES-Ia-e-2) Explain the current advancements/information on the solar system (S11/12ES-Ia-e-5) Lesson Objectives: Discuss the different hypotheses explaining the origin of the solar system Become familiar with the most recent advancements/information on the solar system. Nebular Hypothesis Description: The Nebular Hypothesis is the most widely accepted model for the formation of the solar system. It suggests that the solar system formed about 4.6 billion years ago from a giant rotating cloud of gas and dust called the solar nebula. Due to gravity, the nebula began to collapse under its own weight, leading to the formation of a spinning disk. The central part of the disk became dense and hot, forming the Sun, while the remaining material in the disk combined into planetesimals, which eventually formed the planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. Supporting Evidence: This hypothesis is supported by observations of protoplanetary disks around other young stars and by the distribution of angular momentum in the solar system. Encounter Hypothesis Description: Buffon’s (1749) Sun-comet encounter that sent matter to form planet; James Jeans’ (1917) sun-star encounter that would have drawn from the sun matter that would condense to planets, T.C. Chamberlain and F. R. Moulton’s (1904) planetesimal hypothesis involving a star much bigger than the Sun passing by the Sun and draws gaseous filaments from both out which planetesimals were formed; Ray Lyttleton’s(1940) sun’s companion star colliding with another to form a proto-planet that breaks up to form Jupiter and Saturn. Protoplanet Hypothesis Description: The Protoplanet Hypothesis is a refinement of the Nebular Hypothesis. It suggests that the solar system's planets formed from the gradual accumulation of smaller objects called planetesimals, which were present in the early solar nebula. Over time, these planetesimals collided and stuck together to form protoplanets, which eventually became the planets we observe today. Supporting Evidence: The hypothesis explains the differentiation of the planets (terrestrial planets close to the Sun and gas giants farther away) and is consistent with computer simulations of planetary formation. Recent advancement/information on the Solar System 1. Exploration of Mars Since the 1960s, the Soviet Union and the U.S. have been sending unmanned probes to the planet Mars with the primary purpose of testing the planet's habitability. The early efforts in the exploration of Mars involved flybys through which spectacular photographs of the Martian surface were taken. The first successful landing and operation on the surface of Mars occurred in 1975 under the Viking program of NASA. Recently, NASA, using high resolution imagery of the surface of Mars, presented evidence of seasonal flow liquid water (in the form of brine - salty water) on the surface of Mars. 2. Rosetta's Comet Rosetta is a space probe built by the European Space Agency and launched on 2 March 2004. One of its mission is to rendezvous with and attempt to land a probe (Philae) on a comet in the Kuiper Belt. One of the purpose of the mission is to better understand comets and the early solar systems. Philae landed successfully on comet (67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko) on 12 November 2014. Analysis of the water (ice) from the comet suggest that its isotopic composition is different from water from Earth. 3. Pluto Flyby On 14 July 2015, NASA's New Horizon spacecraft provided mankind the first close-up view of the dwarf planet Pluto. Images captured from the flyby revealed a complex terrain - ice mountains and vast crater free plains. The presence of crater free plains suggests recent (last 100 millions of years) of geologic activity.