nebular hypothesis

American  

noun

Astronomy.

1. the theory that the solar system evolved from a mass of nebular matter: prominent in the 19th century following its precise formulation by Laplace.

---

nebular hypothesis British  

noun

1. the theory that the solar system evolved from the gravitational collapse of nebular matter

---

nebular hypothesis Scientific  

/ nĕb′yə-lər /

1. A model of star and planet formation in which a nebula contracts under the force of gravity, eventually flattening into a spinning disk with a central bulge. A protostar forms at the nebula's center. As matter condenses around the protostar in the bulge, planets are formed from the spinning matter in the disk. This theory is widely accepted to account for the formation of stars and planetary systems such as ours. The first version of the nebular hypothesis was proposed in 1755 by the German philosopher Immanuel Kant and modified in 1796 by Pierre Laplace.

2. ◆ The nebula that according to this hypothesis condensed to form the solar system is called the solar nebula.

---

Etymology

Origin of nebular hypothesis

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Beginning around 1860, Kelvin and other physicists started estimating the ages of the Earth and Sun using the nebular hypothesis proposed around 1750 by Immanuel Kant and Pierre Laplace.

From Scientific American

Swedenborg, the theologian, set down in due form many of the principles that underlie the modern nebular hypothesis.

From Project Gutenberg

A man can deny the rotundity of the earth, the attraction of gravitation, the form of the earths orbit, or the nebular hypothesis, with perfect impunity.

From Project Gutenberg

These discriminations made, Schopenhauer offers us a scientific cosmogony beginning with the nebular hypothesis and ending with an outline of organic evolution.

From Project Gutenberg

In early times, according to the nebular hypothesis, the atmosphere was much more dense than now and contained a larger percentage of certain constituents, notably carbon dioxide and water.

From Project Gutenberg