What are protoplanetary bodies and what do they do?

A protoplanetary disc, or disc of material encircling a star, is where planets are formed. Dust and ice in the disc collide and combine to form protoplanetary bodies, which then combine to form larger bodies.

Some protoplanetary bodies may combine to form moons of the planet, but in the end, there will only be one body in the orbit—the newly formed planet.

A planet is defined as having cleared its orbit of other bodies, which is one of the reasons Pluto was demoted from the planet status.

Protoplanetary bodies are celestial objects made of dust grains, ice particles, and gases that originate in protoplanetary disks around young stars. As a result of collisions and gravitational attraction, these bodies can eventually accrete more material to form planets, moons, asteroids, and comets within a planetary system.