When and how was the Sun born?

Solar Eclipse: The upcoming total solar eclipse is a special moment to reflect on our place in the universe and scientists have long been studying the wonders associated with the birth of the Sun and the formation of our solar system. Today our Solar System is composed primarily of a central star – the Sun – as well as an inner Solar System containing rocky planets and an outer Solar System containing gas and ice giant planets. However, it has not always been this way.

How was the Sun formed?

Our solar system formed from the gravitational collapse of a dense molecular cloud of gas and dust, composed primarily of hydrogen, a little helium, and about one percent heavier elements. After the cloud collapsed, most of the mass concentrated in the center, forming our Sun. The star continued to contract until it reached its final size and density. Hydrogen fusion ignited the Sun’s core, causing the star to emit light and heat. Around the Sun, the remaining portion – about 0.5 to one percent of the Sun’s mass – formed a protoplanetary disk, where the planets later formed. Protoplanetary disks are not just theorized in the planet-forming process – they have actually been observed, such as the disk around HL Tauri, a small star with rings and gaps that are possible signs of planetary formation. We have a very good idea of ​​when this collapse occurred in our Solar System because we can analyze the first (or oldest) solids that condensed from protoplanetary disk gas. This detailed analysis is possible only in our solar system, because we cannot collect material directly from other solar systems. These solid fragments, called calcium-aluminum rich inclusions (CAI), have been found in some of the oldest meteorites, and have been dated to 456.73 million years old. This is when our solar system came into existence, and this provides the age of our Sun’s birth.

Also Read: Bizarre News: Interview is conducted after giving alcohol, then selection takes place

collapsing molecular cloud

Very dense molecular clouds can collapse under their own gravity. However, the collapse of our protosolar nebula was likely caused by disturbances caused by the passing shock wave of an exploded giant star, called a supernova. This shock wave compressed the molecular cloud so much that it began to collapse, and a central star and a planetary disk formed around it. Evidence of this hypothesis is found in the isotope composition of some chemical elements in pre-solar particles. Pre-solar grains are small silicon-carbide minerals (less than a micrometer in size), and can be found in quantities of a few millionths in some meteorites. These pre-solar particles have isotope compositions that cannot be explained by chemical or physical processes occurring in our solar system, and are better explained if these molecules formed elsewhere. The isotope composition of pre-solar particles implies that, after the supernova, these particles drifted into space, and they became trapped in our molecular cloud, which then collapsed, and those particles remained inside the meteorites that we study today. We do.

How old is the Sun than the Earth?

The age of 45.673 million years found for CAI is often used as the age of the Earth. However, after the formation of the CAI, Earth probably took tens to a few billions of years to form. Although we have determined the age of our solar system very accurately, there is still debate regarding the age of our own planet Earth. The challenge comes from the fact that Earth is an active planet, and is very efficient at recycling and reusing its oldest rocks, resetting their geochronological information. By the time a major impact occurred on the proto-Earth, more than 98 percent of the proto-Earth’s mass would have already melted together. That huge impact added the remaining two percent to Earth, and also formed our Moon.

Also Read: Personal Finance: Does your husband do shopping without thinking, then improve this habit of his.

The giant impact, which occurred approximately 7 to 120 million years after the formation of CAI, may provide the best determination for the age of the Earth. Independent age estimates can also be obtained by estimating the time of freezing of Earth’s magma ocean, which is the result of a giant impact on the Moon. Studies attempting to determine the time of formation of the magma ocean provide an age of between 100 and 150 million years after the birth of the Sun. The upcoming total solar eclipse is an opportunity for everyone to appreciate the wonders of our solar system, which took approximately 4.6 billion years to evolve. It is actually a cosmic coincidence that a total solar eclipse can be seen on Earth. The Sun is approximately 400 times larger than the Moon, which is 400 times closer to the Sun. If you were on Mars or Venus, you wouldn’t be lucky enough to witness this event!