1 7 th ▁century . ▁The ▁first ▁recorded ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁" S olar ▁System " ▁dates ▁from ▁ 1 7 0 4 . ▁ ▁The ▁current ▁standard ▁theory ▁for ▁Sol ar ▁System ▁formation , ▁the ▁ne b ular ▁hypothesis , ▁has ▁fallen ▁into ▁and ▁out ▁of ▁favour ▁since ▁its ▁form ulation ▁by ▁E manuel ▁Sweden borg , ▁Im manuel ▁Kant , ▁and ▁Pierre - Sim on ▁Lap lace ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁The ▁most ▁significant ▁criticism ▁of ▁the ▁hypothesis ▁was ▁its ▁apparent ▁in ability ▁to ▁explain ▁the ▁Sun ' s ▁relative ▁lack ▁of ▁angular ▁momentum ▁when ▁compared ▁to ▁the ▁plan ets . ▁However , ▁since ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁studies ▁of ▁young ▁stars ▁have ▁shown ▁them ▁to ▁be ▁surrounded ▁by ▁cool ▁disc s ▁of ▁dust ▁and ▁gas , ▁exactly ▁as ▁the ▁ne b ular ▁hypothesis ▁predict s , ▁which ▁has ▁led ▁to ▁its ▁re - accept ance . ▁▁ ▁Under standing ▁of ▁how ▁the ▁Sun ▁is ▁expected ▁to ▁continue ▁to ▁evol ve ▁required ▁an ▁understanding ▁of ▁the ▁source ▁of ▁its ▁power . ▁Arthur ▁Stanley ▁Edd ington ' s ▁confirm ation ▁of ▁Albert ▁Ein stein ' s ▁theory ▁of ▁relativ ity ▁led ▁to ▁his ▁real isation ▁that ▁the ▁Sun ' s ▁energy ▁comes ▁from ▁nuclear ▁fusion ▁re actions ▁in ▁its ▁core , ▁f using ▁hydro gen ▁into ▁hel ium . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁Edd ington ▁went ▁further ▁and ▁suggested ▁that ▁other ▁elements ▁also ▁might ▁form ▁within ▁stars . ▁Fred ▁Ho