Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, is a prime example of how planets are formed through a combination of gravitational collapse and accretion. Its massive size and gaseous composition suggest that it was once a protoplanet that rapidly accumulated gas and dust from the surrounding solar nebula. Gas giants like Jupiter form further away from the central star, where temperatures are cooler and the gas density is higher. The gravitational pull of the protoplanet's core attracts surrounding gas, which becomes trapped by the planet's growing atmosphere. Accretion of rocky and icy material continues, forming a solid core that acts as the foundation for further gas accumulation. Jupiter's moons and ring system are believed to have formed from the same primordial disk that gave birth to the planet, providing further evidence of its role as a template for planetary formation.
