Core accretion model

The core accretion model describes how planets form in space. It starts with small particles like dust and ice in a star's protoplanetary disk, which stick together to form larger bodies called planetesimals. Over time, these planetesimals collide and combine, gradually building up a solid core. Once this core becomes sufficiently massive, it attracts surrounding gas due to gravity, forming a thick atmosphere and developing into a gas giant like Jupiter. This process explains how planets, especially large gas ones, originate from the accumulation of material in a young star's environment.