The Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Creationism (2018)

Spencer, W.R. 2018. The proposed origin of our solar system with planet migration. In Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Creationism , ed. J.H. Whitmore, pp. 71–81. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Creation Science Fellowship. THE PROPOSED ORIGIN OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEMWITH PLANET MIGRATION Wayne R. Spencer , Independent scholar, Irving, TX 75063 USA, wspencer@creationanswers.net ABSTRACT Two new models to explain the origin and history of our solar system are reviewed from a creation perspective, the Grand Tack model and the Nice model. These new theories propose that the four outer planets formed closer to the Sun, as well as closer together, than today. Then their orbits underwent periods of migration. Theories developed in the research on extrasolar planet systems are today being applied to our own solar system. The new migration models are finding much support from the planetary science community. These new models are summarized and evaluated Biblically and scientifically. Rather than demonstrating how our solar system formed, the new migration models can be understood as supporting the intelligent design of our solar system. KEY WORDS solar system, migration, Grand Tack, Nice Model, planets Copyright 2018 Creation Science Fellowship, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA www.creationicc.org 71 INTRODUCTION For many years the accepted theory for the origin of our solar system has been what is referred to as the Nebular Hypothesis, in which a nebula collapses into a disk fromwhich our Sun and planets form. In the 1994 Proceedings of the International Conference on Creationism (ICC) the author critiqued this theory (Spencer 1994). After 1994 came a great deal of scientific research from astronomers regarding extrasolar planets (exoplanets). The extrasolar planetary systems are generally found to be quite different than our own solar system and this has led to new planet origins models being put forward to explain the origin of the extrasolar planetary systems. The author has addressed the evidence for extrasolar planets, the origin of extrasolar planets, and other origins issues regarding our own solar system in various papers since 1994 (Spencer 2001, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2014a, 2014b). Extrasolar planet systems demanded a different approach from earlier scientific models of planetary systems, mainly because many of the exoplanet systems were found to have planets present very near their stars. This motivated the development of theories on planet orbit migration. Today these planet orbit migration models are being applied to the origin of our own solar system. Thus since 2005 two new models have been developed regarding the formation and history of the planets in our own solar system, called the “Grand Tack” and the “Nice” model. (“Nice” is a reference to the city in France, where scientists first met to develop the model.) The Grand Tack model pertains to the inner solar system and has Jupiter and Saturn migrating first inward and then outward. The Nice model holds that Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune initially formed nearer to each other and closer to the Sun, then migrated outward to their present orbits. This paper will do a review of these new models and update the topic of the origin of our solar system from a young age creation perspective. In 1994 the author pointed out scientific difficulties with secular naturalistic theories on the formation of our solar system and advantages of a young age creation perspective. The Bible implies that Earth was created supernaturally with a special purpose of being inhabited by humans. The creation account in Genesis chapter one is clearly supernaturalistic and thus rules out many naturalistic formation theories. The creation account does not explicitly describe the creation of many objects in our solar system. However, it does mention the Sun and Moon being created on the fourth day. Thus, it seems reasonable to infer that all other objects in our solar system were formed on the fourth day in the creation week. The creation week was a unique time in which special processes were at work not like normal natural processes. Then God’s special creative activity completed on the sixth day of the creation week. Since 1994 the author’s views have changed somewhat on certain scientific issues. The author’s former emphasis on a solar system catastrophe was considered mainly in connection with evidence for cratering across our solar system. This stimulated debate among creationists regarding impacts in the solar system and impacts from space during Noah’s Flood. At the present time, the author leans more toward the role of the creation week processes and less on catastrophic events for explaining the solar system. The Fourth Day Impacts Hypothesis of Faulkner (2014) seems to the author to be the best explanation of cratering in the solar system. However, this does not mean the concept of impacts during the Noahic Flood has been abandoned by the author, just that the Flood involved fewer impacts. Also, the impacts which happened during creation week did not affect Earth. The accepted naturalistic theory on the origin of our solar system was described by Spencer in 1994 as the “Modified Nebular Hypothesis” (p.514). The early stages of the Nebular Hypothesis regarding the collapse of a nebula in space to a spinning disk is envisioned today as much the same process as in Spencer 1994 (p. 514-518). After the collapse of the nebula into a disk the central mass becomes a star with nuclear fusion operating. At this stage, the star is surrounded by a spinning disk of gas and dust from which planets (and other objects) may form. The mass of the gas is thought to be possibly a hundred times the mass of the dust initially. This stage with the Sun operating as a star surrounded by a disk of