Our Solar System Was Shocked And Spun To Form Planets

Space





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The supernova remnant W44 is a model for how such events trigger planet formation. Credit: Hersche – Quang Nguyen Luong & F. Motte

We know that planetary systems are common throughout the galaxy, but there is a lot still to learn about how they form. Now, an old theory has been given a new spin, with modeling revealing how a nearby supernova could have triggered the collapse that led to the formation of the Solar System's planets – including Earth.