Solar Nebula Theory Flashcards
(9 cards)
What marks the beginning of the process that forms a star?
Gravity pulls together gas and dust particles from a large cloud in space.
What is the early stage of a star-forming region called?
Dense, condensed cloud.
What happens to the cloud as gravity continues to act on it?
The particles become more compact, forming a smaller and rounder cloud.
What causes the cloud to start spinning around a central axis?
Conservation of angular momentum.
What occurs as the cloud shrinks and more mass is pulled toward the center?
The cloud spins faster.
Fill in the blank: The central mass becomes so dense and hot that _______ ignites, creating a star.
nuclear fusion
What shape does the rest of the cloud collapse into due to gravity?
Spherical shape.
What begins to happen to surrounding particles in the disk around the star?
They begin to clump together.
What do the clumps of particles grow into as they continue to combine?
Planets, moons, and other celestial objects.
