HOW PLANETS FORM

When our sun formed, dust and gas flattened out and rocks plus other debris formed to make the terrestrial planets. These forms got larger because of gravity

When the gas giants formed, gas froze into giant spheres

QUALIFICATIONS TO BE A PLANET

• Must orbit a star in our cosmic neighborhood
• Must be big enough to have enough gravity to force it into a sphere shape
• Must be big enough that it’s gravity cleared away other objects close to its size near its orbit