Roughly 4.5 Gyr ago, the Solar System formed in a disk surrounding the proto-Sun. Within this disk, the gas giants grew to their current sizes in a few Myr; the rocky planets took a few tens of Myr to reach their present masses.

Besides keeping track of the myriad objects in the Solar System, SSP scientists use data on the compositions, masses, and positions of these objects along with theoretical models to learn how planets form and evolve in time.

Project Links

Exoplanet searches
ICQ Comet Information
Minor Planet Center
Numerical simulations of planet formation
Origins of Life Initiative

People

Fred Franklin, Daniel W. E. Green, Matt Holman, Scott Kenyon, Myron Lecar, Brian G. Marsden, Ursula B. Marvin, Michail Petaev, Timothy Spahr, Gareth V. Williams