planetismal hypothesis

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planetismal hypothesis A cataclysmic theory, propounded early in the twentieth century, to explain the origin of the solar system. This was attributed to tidal interactions produced by a close encounter between the Sun and a star. The immense gaseous tides produced in the Sun pulled matter away, in the direction of the star, to form a long, gaseous filament. This then broke into several parts, each contracting to form a planet.

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