Formation of the Solar System

  • 3

    3.8 bya

    3.8 bya
    Oort cloud reaches maximum mass.
  • 4

    4.6 bya

    4.6 bya
    Pre-solar nebula forms and begins to collapse. Sun begins to form.
  • 4

    4.5 bya

    4.5 bya
    Terrestrial planets and the Moon form.
    Giant impacts occur.
    Water delivered to Earth.
    Sun becomes a main-sequence star.
  • 4

    4 bya

    4 bya
    Resonance in Jupiter and Saturn's orbits moves Neptune out into the Kuiper belt. Late Heavy Bombardment occurs in the inner Solar System.
  • 5

    5 bya

    5 bya
    Previous generations of stars live and die, injecting heavy elements into the interstellar medium out of which the Solar System formed.