When did astronomers estimate the solar nebula's pivotal formation event occurred?

Answer

4.6 billion years ago

The foundational event initiating the solar system's development, involving the collapse of the immense solar nebula, is estimated by astronomers to have taken place approximately 4.6 billion years in the past. This figure is derived from radiometric dating of the oldest components found within the system, particularly primitive meteorites. This timeframe marks the transition from a diffuse cloud of interstellar material to a gravitationally bound system centered around a nascent star. Understanding this specific timescale is crucial as it aligns with the rates of accretion and cooling processes necessary to form the distinct structures observed today, such as the rocky inner planets and the distant gas giants.

When did astronomers estimate the solar nebula's pivotal formation event occurred?

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When did astronomers estimate the solar nebula's pivotal formation event occurred?What characterized the solar nebula before the violent collapse began?What catastrophic event is the prevailing consensus for triggering the solar nebula's collapse?How did the supernova shockwave primarily act to initiate the system's formation?What physical principle dictated the increased spin rate as the solar nebula contracted inward?What dense, hot core formed from the majority of the infalling material at the center of the nebula?What structure resulted from the inward fall and outward spin in the material orbiting the central condensing mass?What materials primarily formed the terrestrial planets in the hotter inner region of the disk?Beyond which boundary could lighter, volatile materials condense into solid ice grains necessary for giant planets?What primitive space rocks are considered time capsules containing unaltered building blocks from the solar nebula?
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