Formation of the planets (part-2)
The giantplanets ( Jupiter , Saturn , Uranus , and Neptune ) formed further out, beyond the frost line , which is the point between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter where the material is cool enough for volatile icy compounds to remain solid. The ices that formed the Jovian planets were more abundant than the metals and silicates that formed the terrestrial planets, allowing the giant planets to grow massive enough to capture hydrogen and helium, the lightest and most abundant elements. Planetesimals beyond the frost line accumulated up to 4 M ⊕ within about 3 million years. Today, the four giant planets comprise just under 99% of all the mass orbiting the Sun. heorists believe it is no accident that Jupiter lies just beyond the frost line. Because the frost line accumulated large amounts of water via evaporation from infalling icy material, it created a region of lower pressure that increased the speed of orbiting dust part...