A Trip through Grab Your Solar System Passport and Lets go !!
The Sun Star at the center of the solar system Contains 99.86% of the Solar Systems Total mass Mostly Hydrogen and Helium
Axial Tilt of all the Planets
INNER PLANETS Terrestrial, meaning Earth-like (terra = earth) Made up of rocks and metals Warmer and denser than the outer planets
Mercury Mercury has the greatest temperature range between night and day! Max430 degrees Celsius Min -170 degrees Celsius Closest Planet to the Sun Made of Fe and Ni Almost no atmosphere too hot and not enough gravity to hold onto it
Composition of Mercury Extremely Dense (5.4 x water) Composed of mostly metals Iron and Nickel core Rock layer Brittle cracked crust Highly Cratered Surface due to bombardment from space Scientists suspect frozen water (H 2 0) may be trapped deep in the some craters at the poles which never get sunlight
Motions of Mercury It takes Mercury 2 revolutions to complete 3 rotations on its axis ( On other words, it takes 2 years to make 3 days) The orbit of Mercury is an elongated ellipse, but it does not go back to exactly where it was before, it returns slightly ahead where it began Length of rotation on axis- 59 days Length of revolution around sun- 88 days
Atmosphere of Mercury Extremely thin atmosphere- very small amounts of Sodium and other gases Most gases escaped early on because they became highly excited by heat from the sun and were not contained due to Mercurys weak gravitational pull On Mercury a100 lb object = 38 lbs
Motions of Venus Its day is longer than its year! Rotates East to West, known as Retrograde Motion, the opposite of most other planets In other words, if you were on Venus, the sun would rise in the West and set in the East From our perspective, Venus exhibits phase changes, much like our moon Length of rotation on axis- 243 days Length of revolution around sun- 225 days
Venus Extremely bright object in sky Often called the Evening Star or Morning Star because it can only be seen at sunset/sunrise Temperature Range Max500 degrees C Min-32 degrees C Why is this true?
Why can we only see Mercury and Venus during sunset and sunrise? In order to view Mercury and Venus from Earth, we must look inward toward the sun (as opposed as outward into the darkness of space) The only time we can see that direction is during the day During mid-day, the sun is too bright and whites-out our view of these planets, making sunrise/set the only time they are viewable!
Composition of Venus Very dense (5.2 x water) Composition similar to Earth with a metal core, liquid rock mantle and and solid outer rock crust Rocky, dusty, and waterless Mountains, Canyons, Plains and huge hardened lava flows
Atmosphere of Venus Hostile Conditions Constant cloud cover, no sunny days! Atmospheric pressure is 90 times greater than Earth, enough to crush you Atmosphere composed of Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) and Sulfuric acid, not breathable Green House Effect makes the surface very hot!
Green House Effect on Venus 1.Venus is closer to the sun than the Earth 2.Therefore it receives more solar energy 3.Surface of Venus becomes very hot 4.Heat is reflected off the surface, but not allowed travel into space due to cloud cover 5.Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) cloud cover traps the energy of the sun 6.Surface reaches 460 degrees Celsius!!
Earth In the Goldilocks Zone Only planet with liquid water The only planet in our solar system with suitable conditions for development of life The most dense planet! (5.5 x water) Temperature Range Max60 degrees C Min-90 degrees C
Motions of Earth Length of rotation- 24 hours = 1 day Length of revolution- 365 days = 1 year One satellite: The moon
About the Moon Fifth largest moon in the solar system Almost no atmosphere A quarter of Earths size Only celestial body on which humans have made a manned landing Currently believed that the moon was created when a Mars sized body collided with the Earth and the debris recollected and accreted Scale Model of Earth Moon System http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/S peed_of_light_from_Earth_to_Moon.gif Light (front) side of the Moon Dark Side of the Moon (the view we never see)
Mars Known as the Red Planet Rocky surface covered in an Iron oxide dust Prone to dusty wind storms (62 mph winds) Temperature Range Max 27 degrees C Min-143 degrees C
Composition of Mars Surface composed of Basalt covered in Iron Oxide Dust Likely Iron and Sulfur core No Magnetic Field now, but magnetic bands in rocks are evidence that it once had a rotating metallic core and plate tectonics Once had active Volcanoes
Martian Geography Only planet in which geographic features can be seen from Earth (with a telescope) Evidence that water once flowed CO2 icecaps at both poles Frozen water discovered in the North pole
Motions of Mars Mars experiences seasons much like Earth because it is tilted on its axis They are much longer due to its more elliptical orbit Rotation length- 24.5 hours Revolution length- 687 days
Atmosphere of Mars Atmosphere is mostly Carbon dioxide (C0 2 ) Very thin cloud cover 1 % the atmospheric pressure of Earth Low density (3.3 xwater) and small size make the pull of gravity very weak, less than Mercury! A 100 lb object would weigh 37 lbs on Mars
Moons of Mars 2 small crater covered moons Phobos Deimos
Terrestrial Planets Overview Also known as Terrestrial Planets (meaning Earth-like) Made up of rock and metal Warmer than Outer Planets Much smaller than Outer Planets Have relatively High density Slow rotation Solid surfaces No rings Few satellites
Asteroid Belt Space between Mars and Jupiter Filled with many irregularly shaped bodies and would-be planet forming materials called Planetesimals
Jupiter Largest Planet Most Massive Planet 1/1000 th mass of the sun 2.5 times the mass of all other planets combined Core is hotter than the sun, Radiates more energy than it receives from the sun due to gravitational compression Temperature Atmosphere -110 degrees C Core 36000 degrees C
Motions of Jupiter Most circular orbit The fastest rotation of all the planets If Earth is going 100 mph, Jupiter going 22,000 mph Fast spinning, creates a bulge at the equator As a result of non-solid surface, the poles rotate faster than equator http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/790106-0203_Voyager_58M_to_31M_reduced.gif Length of rotation-10 hours Length of revolution-11.87 years
Composition of Jupiter Thick liquid atmosphere with relatively tiny solid core Composed primarily of Hydrogen and Helium Clouds made of Ammonia Ice crystals
Climate of Jupiter http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/PIA02863_- _Jupiter_surface_motion_animation.gif http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/PIA02863_- _Jupiter_surface_motion_animation.gif Jupiter is a windy and stormy Wind speeds more than 400 mph Some lightning Exhibits Aurora light display! Jupiters Red Spot Oval shaped counter-clockwise storm moving storm 4 times larger than Earth
Moons of Jupiter 63 known satellites total- many 7-13 million miles away Galileo discovered 4 largest in 1610 Very different properties Iocovered in volcanoes Europaicy crust with liquid water underneath Ganymedelargest moon Callistocompletely covered in craters
Rings of Jupiter Rings are made of dust that was likely ejected from the many satellites
Saturn Second largest planet, slightly smaller than Jupiter Twice as far from the Sun as Jupiter Less dense than water, it would float!
Motions of Saturn Has a similar axis tilt to earth- 27 degrees As Saturn moves, and tilts, our view of its rings changes Length of rotation- 10.75 hours Length of revolution- 29.5 years
Composition of Saturn Mostly Hydrogen and Helium Methane, and Ammonia Thick gas/liquid atmosphere with tiny rock core Clouds of Ammonia ice crystals
Climate of Saturn Colder than Jupiter Less dramatic clouds and storms than Jupiter Extremely high wind speeds, up to 1,000 mph The planet gives off about 2.5 times more heat energy than it receives from the Sun. Many astronomers believe that much of Saturn's internal heat comes from energy generated by the slow sinking of helium through the liquid hydrogen in the planet's interior. Temperature Atmosphere -175 degrees C Core11,700 degrees C
Rings of Saturn Galileo first noticed them in 1610, but could not explain them at the time Rings composed of chunks of rock, dust, and ice In 2009, Astronomers have discovered a dust halo around Saturn that extends for millions of miles around it Infrared Images
Moons of Saturn 52 recognized moons, more reported Difficult to discern from the many ice chunks that revolve as part of Saturns ring system
Titan Saturns largest moon Larger than Earths Moon Titan is the only satellite in the Solar System to have an atmosphere Titan is the only place besides Earth of have copious amounts of liquid, has methane/ethane lakes Exhibits fog indicating liquid cycling (like earths water cycle) Has organic compounds, atmosphere, and liquid environment that are ingredients for life, but Titan may be too cold
Uranus First new planet discovered since ancient times by William Hershel 1781 4 times the diameter of Earth Twice as far from the sun as Saturn, Coldest planet in the solar system Does not emit much heat, like other Giants Temperature Range Atmosphere-224 degrees C Core4700 degrees C
Motions of Uranus Uranus is tilted 90 degrees from vertical So from our perspective, it rotates top to bottom Astronomers predict this strange tilt may be the result of the gravitational pull from a large moon that has since been ejected from Uranus orbit Length of rotation- 17 hours Length of revolution- 84 years
Composition of Uranus Blue appearance due to traces of Methane Composed of Hydrogen, Helium, Methane and more ices than Jupiter or Saturn Least massive of the outer planets Rocky core Icy mantle Hydrogen Helium Envelope
Moons and Rings of Uranus 27 satellites Very faint rings composed of black dust particles and boulder sized rocks Infrared Image
Neptune Discovered 1846 due to mathematical prediction Smaller but denser than Uranus2005, some In 2005, astronomers proposed that Uranus and Neptune may have formed much closer to the Sun before migrating outwards and swapping places in the process (Maggie McKee, New Scientist, May 22, 2005)Maggie McKee, New Scientist, May 22, 2005 Temperature Range Atmosphere-200 degrees C Core7000 degrees C
Motions of Neptune Length of rotation- 16.5 hours Length of revolution- 164 years The average temperature of -200 Celsius South pole is 10 degrees warmer than the rest of planet. This hot spot occurs because Neptunes south pole is currently exposed to the Sun. As Neptune continues its journey around the Sun, the position of the poles will reverse. Then the northern pole will become the warmer one, and the south pole will cool down.
Compostion of Neptune Mostly Ices and Rock 15% Hydrogen and Helium, trace amounts of Methane Presences of Cirrus Clouds
Atmosphere of Neptune Has a great storm in the southern hemisphere, The Great Dark Spot, much like Jupiter Fastest winds in the solar system 1,200 mph
Internal Heat of Neptune Like Jupiter and Saturn, Neptune appears to have an internal heat source and so it radiates more than twice as much energy as it receives from the Sun. Planetary scientists believe that deep inside Neptune, pressure builds (and heat) until much of its formerly gaseous hydrogen turns into liquid metallic hydrogen, again like Jupiter and Saturn. Under such conditions, the methane found in Neptune's atmosphere also decomposes, as the bonds holding methane's four hydrogen atoms dissolve and the carbon atoms may bind to one another in the extreme pressure to form diamonds (according to a new hypothesis by a team at the University of California at Berkeley and experiments conducted by Robin Benedetti). Hence, a rain of diamonds may be falling toward Neptune's core, which release heat through friction with its heavy atmosphere (Curtis Rist, Discover, September 2000).
Moons of Neptune At least 13 satellites Some of Neptunes moons did not form at the time of Neptunes formation, but were captured later by gravity One piece of evidence for this is that Neptunes largest moon, Triton, revolves in the opposite direction of Neptunes rotation
Jovian Planets Overview Also known as Jovian Planets (meaning Jupiter-like) Made up of Hydrogen, Helium, and ices Colder than Inner Planets Much larger than Inner Planets, thats why they are called Giants Have relatively Low density Rapid rotation Deep atmospheres Have rings Many satellites
Pluto- Dwarf Planet Less than 2 x smaller than The Moon Merely the largest of thousands of objects that revolve around the sun outside of Neptune If astronomers had discovered the objects first, they may never have called a Pluto a planet The new definition offered today would set up a three-tiered classification scheme with eight planets; a group of dwarf-planets that would include Pluto, Ceres, Xena and many other icy balls in the outer solar system; and thousands of smaller solar system bodies, like comets and asteroids. Pluto is now identified as part of the Kuiper Belt
Kuiper Belt Source of short period comets Come from a disc shaped region outside Neptune Where potential planet forming debris collected
Oort Cloud Source of long period comets Icy rocky remnants left over from the creation of the s...