When Jupiter was in the position of Mars
Wednesday, June 15, 2011 - 09:30
in Astronomy & Space
A new scenario describing a key step in the formation of the solar system has been proposed by a French-American collaboration. According to this model, Jupiter migrated towards the Sun to the position where Mars is today before beginning its outward migration to its current location, much further away. This is how the researchers explain the formation of the asteroid belt as well as the size difference between the terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars). The scientists are now seeking to include in this scenario Uranus and Neptune, which are the most distant planets in the solar system.