About 4.6 billion years ago, the Solar System formed from a cloud of dust and gas collapsing in on itself due to gravity. The Sun, planets, and eventually Earth formed out of the cloud. But when did ...

Jupiter's rapid early growth dramatically reshaped our solar system, scientists now reveal. Its immense gravity acted as a cosmic divider, separating materials and influencing where planets formed.

In the early days of our solar system, when the Sun was still young and the planets were barely formed, Jupiter wasn’t the gas giant we see today. In fact, today’s Jupiter would look like a midget in ...