Final answer:
A theory of solar system formation considers motion, chemical, and age constraints, explaining how planetesimals formed from the solar nebula, leading to the asteroids, comets, and planets we observe today. The distribution and composition of these celestial bodies support this model, which is further corroborated by similar processes observed in other stellar systems.
Step-by-step explanation:
The gravitational forces that shaped the solar system are central to understanding the formation and evolution of asteroids, comets, meteors, meteorites, and the outer planets.
A theory of solar system formation must consider motion constraints, chemical constraints, and age constraints. These factors have influenced the development of objects such as asteroids and comets, which are remnants of the solar nebula - a cloud of gas and dust that collapsed under gravity to form the Sun and the surrounding planetary system. Through a process of condensation, accretion, and differentiation, planetesimals were formed in the nebula and later aggregated to become planets, while the giant planets were able to attract and hold gas from the solar nebula. Over millions of years, a period of violent impacts occurred, resulting in most debris being cleared, leaving the comets and asteroids we see today.
Observational evidence of celestial bodies in our solar system, such as the compositions of meteorites and the orbital dynamics of planets and asteroids, lend support to this model of solar system formation. The regularities among the planets and new astronomical observations of circumstellar disks around other stars suggest a common process of planetary system formation. Finally, the history of bombardment by icy material in the inner solar system has had significant implications for the development of planets like Earth, contributing critical water and organic materials necessary for life.