Solar system
Posted: February 14th, 2020, 12:42 am
Not sure this is the right board but ... I was reading today about a discovery that apparently discounts the traditional theory that the planets were formed by violent collision, and instead postulates that they were a result of a gentle coming together.
The basis for this theory appears to be a lump of rock that's formed of two separate rocks - https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/13/worl ... index.html
But what I'd like to know is what physical force could achieve this?
I can easily understand how a new planet could be formed by violent collision, as the forces generated would create massively high temperatures that would melt the two rocks and enable them to merge as a molten mass. However, I'd have thought that if two lumps of rock simply bumped into each other "at about 7 miles per hour" they'd just bounce apart.
Because of their size, gravitational forces would be minimal, so how and why would they ever even stay together, let alone merge into each other?
Grateful thanks for any enlightenment.
The basis for this theory appears to be a lump of rock that's formed of two separate rocks - https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/13/worl ... index.html
But what I'd like to know is what physical force could achieve this?
I can easily understand how a new planet could be formed by violent collision, as the forces generated would create massively high temperatures that would melt the two rocks and enable them to merge as a molten mass. However, I'd have thought that if two lumps of rock simply bumped into each other "at about 7 miles per hour" they'd just bounce apart.
Because of their size, gravitational forces would be minimal, so how and why would they ever even stay together, let alone merge into each other?
Grateful thanks for any enlightenment.