What is the role of interstellar gas and dust in the formation of the solar system?

The interstellar gas and dust played a critical role in the formation of the solar system. The solar system is believed to have formed from a giant cloud of interstellar gas and dust, known as the solar nebula. This cloud of gas and dust collapsed under its own gravity, which caused it to spin faster and flatten into a disk. The densest part of this disk formed the protosun, while the remaining material in the disk clumped together to form planetesimals, which eventually became the planets.

The interstellar gas and dust also played a role in determining the composition of the solar system. Different elements and molecules condense at different temperatures, so the temperature of the gas and dust in the solar nebula determined the types of solids and gases that were available to form planets. For example, the outer planets, which formed in a colder region of the disk, are made mostly of hydrogen and helium, while the inner planets, which formed in a hotter region, are made mostly of silicates and metals.