Our Planet, the Earth

The formation of the Earth was part of the formation of the Solar System. The gas and dust cloud that formed the Solar System gradually started shrinking and more and more matter gathered in the centre while the temperature constantly increased. The Sun formed from this condensed centre. Due to rapid rotation, the rest of the cloud scattered and flattened into an orbiting protoplanetary disc around the Sun. The dust particles in the protoplanetary disc collided and stuck together due to electrostatic attraction, forming planetesimals. When they reached a size of about one kilometre, they collided due to mutual gravity, forming protoplanets, which were a few thousand kilometres in diameter. This is how the Earth was formed 4.6 billion years ago.

Impact energy

Energy is not lost or destroyed but transferred. If two celestial objects, travelling at very high speed, collide, their kinetic energy is converted into heat, melting the rocks.

Planet:

An astronomical object orbiting a star (e.g. the Sun).
It is not luminous, it reflects the light of the star.

Star:

A luminous sphere of plasma, that shines due
to the various fusion reactions that take place
inside its core.

Solar System:

The Sun dominates the Solar System gravitationally. Numerous small bodies (planets, asteroids, comets) orbit the centre of it, the Sun.

After the Sun was formed due to rapid rotation, the rest of the cloud scattered and flattened into an orbiting protoplanetary
disc around it. The dust particles in the protoplanetary disc collided and stuck together due to electrostatic attraction, forming planetesimals. When they reached a size of about one kilometre, they collided due to mutual gravity, forming protoplanets, which were a few thousand kilometres in diameter.

The surface of the Earth was hit by many meteorites, melting the rocky crust and causing volcanic eruptions. Luckily Jupiter’s enormous gravitational pull attracted the largest objects, protecting the Earth from the most devastating impacts.