What was the core prediction of catastrophic models regarding the commonality of solar systems?
Answer
They predicted planet formation would be extremely rare.
Catastrophic models proposed that planetary systems arose from extremely unlikely, violent events, such as a rogue star passing close enough to the Sun to tidally strip material away, which then condensed into planets. Because such close stellar encounters are statistically improbable, these models concluded that solar systems, like our own, must be exceedingly rare occurrences in the galaxy. This contrasts sharply with the nebular hypothesis, which posits planet formation as a natural, expected consequence of star formation, a conclusion strongly supported by modern exoplanet survey data confirming the commonality of planetary systems.
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