The planets all lie in nearly the same plane, resulting in a disk-like structure for the solar system. What is believed to be the reason for this disk-like structure?
A) The solar nebula from which the planets formed collapsed into a disk-like structure.
B) The bipolar flow from the young Sun cleared all material out of the nebula except the material in the disk.
C) Jupiter's gravity was great enough to pull all of the other planets to the plane of its orbit.
D) The Milky Way Galaxy from which the planets condensed has a disk-like structure.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The solar nebula theory suggests that the solar system formed from a giant cloud of gas and dust. As this nebula collapsed under gravity, it spun faster and flattened into a disk. This process led to the formation of the Sun and the planets within this disk-like structure, explaining why the planets all lie in nearly the same plane.

The Planets All Lie in Nearly the Same Plane, Resulting