Is there a reason why we have four “rock” planets lined up followed by four “gas” planets in a row, or is it merely coincidence?
In: Planetary Science
I take it you’ve never seen a centrifuge in action.
the early solar system was the sun and a swirling disk of matter swept up by gravity from earlier supernovae and other sources. just like our own planet, and just like in a centrifuge, denser matter collects toward the middle and gasses remain toward the outside.
the dense rocky matter eventually started clumping together as small rocks smashed together to form bigger rocks and gravity took over. the gasses did the same in essence.
unrelated, we do have the kuiper belt and oort cloud which are rocks captured from other solar systems or thrown off during novae or captured comets.
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