How does a planetary system form?

On Wed, 26 Apr 2000 you wrote:

> Hi! How is a planetary system expected to arise during the star formation
> process?
> Missy

Hi Missy,

The formation of planets is still a very uncertain process. The rough
idea is as follows: dust in the gas surrounding a forming star begins to
stick together, forming small pebbles of material. These pebbles then
collect and merge to form larger bodies, which then grow under gravity to
form asteroid-sized bodies, which then merge to form planets. The trouble
with this picture is getting things to stick together.

A web site that gives a bit more detailed of an introduction is:
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/astronomy/15349

Most astronomy textbooks discuss planet formation, but these texts are
generally out-of-date before they go to press. Planet formation is a hot
topic these days!

Thanks for writing. Sincerely,
Kurtis Williams

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