Introduction to the Solar System: Crash Course Astronomy #9

In today's Crash Course Astronomy, Phil takes a look at the explosive history of our cosmic backyard. We explore how we went from a giant ball of gas to the system of planets and other celestial objects we have today.

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Chapters:
Introduction 00:00
Geocentrism vs Heliocentrism 0:51
Makeup of the Solar System 2:38
Is Pluto a Planet? 3:14
Our Solar System 4:24
How Our Solar System Formed 5:36
Planet Formation Depends on Distance to Sun 7:14
Review 8:57

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PHOTO/VIDEO CREDITS

[brandonbuchner]

I still jaw drop every time I hear "Newton invented calculus." I could barely pass 3 semesters of it with a marginal understanding of what the heck I was looking at, and this dude, more or less on his own, INVENTED MATH! It's absolutely incredible.

[tabularasa_br]

I just loved how he dealt with Pluto with such affection. You can feel the fascination in his eyes, which is something that was transmited to me. Pluto, Ceres, Sedna, you name it: they're all mind-bogling and fascinating!

[akaikeshi]

I just love how Crash Course is available to give us so many information in so many different areas of knowledge for free. You're just amazing!

[Bobobottle]

I loved astronomy before this course, but this is making me love the universe even more!

[velvetwolf]

"We are, quite literally, star stuff"

I don't know about you but that statement makes me happy.

[moltengraphics]

Earth: Hey Sun! Today is Earth Day. The one day they celebrate me!
Sun: Wow, good for you (rolls eyes)
Earth: You must be jealous, huh?
Sun: Nope.
Earth: You are! You don’t have a day for yourself, ha!
Sun: Hm, I wonder what day it is?
Earth: Silly, you forget everything! Today is Sunda-
Sun: 🌞

[ohheyderrkim]

this is absolutely beautiful. im so enlightened and intrigued about the creation of our solar system and puting it into the perspective of how every single thing on earth is created from the matter of stars.. my mind is exploding

and why the middle planets are so big while the closer planets are so small.. AMAZING!

[Raw_steel]

This is a great episode that was well written, at least to my taste. Awesome work Phil! I understand more of the underlying factor of why its a pre-planetary disk. But also had a moment of "holy crap this makes so much sense" when you explained how the outer planets are more gaseous. You sir, have my sub.
I love all astronomy, keep this series going please!

[BaileeWalsh]

I've always considered Pluto a planet, obviously since that's what I was taught when I was in elementary school, but especially because I played Pluto in a play we did about the solar system! :)

[Timocracy]

This is awesome. This is how we should be teaching ALL subjects at schools; fundamental knowledge conveyed by a captivating personality. Phil is a prime example of the best mentor anyone can get - a passionate one. Thank you, Phil.

[OdysseyWorks]

Best crash course series ever! I've always wonderd why the planets are spinning in the same direction. And I got the answer to it now thanks to the angular momentum the cloud it was formed from.

[ScowlieMeerkat]

Seriously great point re: defining "planet", Phil. I'd love to read an astronomy article by you: "We've observed things doing some stuff. Who cares how I describe it? The universe is the universe, no matter what I say."

[robertandersson]

Thank you very much for making this video, Phil Plait and the rest of the team at _Crash Course_ Astronomy. It was interesting to hear about the formation of our solar system, its content and how we thought about the universe in the past. By the way, didn’t the ancient people of Babylon know of 5 planets and that these are round?

Anyway, I have a question about that illustration at 7:25: Is that illustration to scale? Are the planets to scale? If so, the distance between the planets are not to scale, right? I don’t think the planets are equally far from each other, as that image may suggest.

[kristofferwarnberg]

I almost get tears in my eyes everytime someone says that we are starstuff, the way Phil did at the end. Ah, Carl, you are missed.

[artkoenig]

Delightfully clear, direct and full of the necessary details.  Thanks! It was a joy to watch!

[AdvosArt]

I learn more from YouTube and the comments in 10 minutes than in 6 years in school

[pigcatapult]

Be humble, for you are made of earth. Be noble, for you are made of stars.
-Serbian(?) proverb

EDIT: Apparently the source I found attributing this to Serbia may be incorrect?

[caitie]

I got really emotional when Carl Sagan crawled on your shoulder at 8:57.

[HoldMyGlock]

Anthony H.
I studied this in my 11th grade astronomy class and it was one of the more interesting things that I learned this year, especially how that man Copernicos found out that the planets go around the sun in ellipses not circles.

[deviantsid]

You earned my attention in another series but got me to like with that "tell me what a planet is" statement . keep up the good work👍