The making of gas planets

How worlds like Jupiter are formed could be down to one of two theories

Bottom-up model 1 The start of a planetary system Dust grains in orbit around a young star begin to coalesce into planetesimals. The clumping occurs through nongravitational forces 2 Growing into planets The size of the planetesimals begins to increase, moving in orbits, to form the planetary embryos. 3 The making of a gas giant Before the gas in the disk disappears, the planetesimals drag gas envelopes onto themselves that gives them their puffy layers. 4 Planetary scatter Some of the gas giants scatter and, due to their sheer size, accrete remaining planetesimals and embryos. Top-down model 1 In the beginning A disk of gas and dust – known as a protoplanetary disk – is made around a young central star. 2 Unstable dust Gravitational instabilities in the disk form…

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All About Space Book of the Solar System (Digital) - 1 Issue, All About Space Book Of The Solar System 4th Edition

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