Our Solar System

1. Our Solar System Presented By: Taylor Burnett, Caitlin Johnson, Trevor Phibbs and Johnathan Strong

2. The Sun The sun’s radius is 696,000 km Its mass is 333,000m earth The sun is made up of 98% of hydrogen and helium, 2% is made up of other elements. It is the largest and brightest object in our solar system, it contains 99.9% of our solar systems mass. The sun’s surface is made of extremely hot (5800k) hydrogen and helium gas. The surface has sunspots that appear to be darker then the rest of the sun, this is because they are slightly cooler then its surroundings. (about 4000k) the reason that sunspots stay cooler are because of magnetic fields. Studies have shown sunspots to be regions with strong magnetic fields. The magnetic fields alter the spectral lines in the sunspots. Sunspots occur in pairs connected by a loop of magnetic field lines that can arc high above the sun’s surface, which are called solar prominences. Magnetic fields are invisible but we can study them by drawing magnetic field lines which represent the directions the compass needles would point if they were placed within the magnetic field. Where lines are closer together the field is stronger, the more far apart the are the field isweaker.

3. more about the Sun • in order to have a stable sun and for the sun to shine steadily it needs to keep the core hot and dense, it does this using something called gravitational equilibrium, this is a stable balance between two competing forces; gravity pulling inward and pressure pushing outward. • The sun’s atmosphere: • before you reach the sun there is something called solar wind, which is the stream on charged particles that are continually blown off of the sun. • Next is the corona which is the low density gas that represents it’s atmosphere. It extends several million kilometers above the visible surface. The temperature is about 1 million k • The next layer is the chromosphere which is about 10,000k this is the middle layer that gives off most of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. • The photosphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere which is the visible surface of the sun. it is made of gas far less dense than Earth’s atmosphere. Its temperature is about 6000k this is where sunspots and magnetic fields are found. • The sun’s Interior: • The convection zone is where hot gas in rising while cooler gas is going down. • The radiation zone is plasma, and where the energy is moving outward in the form of photons of light. It is about 10 million K and this is where trillions of x-rays are. • Last is the core, which is the source of the sun’s energy nuclear fusion that is transforming hydrogen into helium. The temperature is 15 million K.

4. Mercury • Closest to the Sun • Temperature • 801° - -279° • Smallest Planet • Sun Shines for 3 Months • Days are 1,407 Hours • Years are 88 Days • Almost No Atmosphere • Heavily Cratered • Caloris Basin • One of Solar Systems Largest Craters • Almost Destroyed the Planet • 2nd Densest Planet • Much of Mercury Has Not Been Mapped • Has Solar Flares • Travels 31 Miles Per Second Faster Than Any Other Planet

5. Venus • Earths Sister Planet • Same Size, Mass, Density, Composition and Distance from Sun as Earth • Year - 225 Days • Day - 5,832 Hours • Atmosphere • 97% Carbon Dioxide, 3% Nitrogen and Other Trace Gasses • Runaway Greenhouse Effect • Temperature - 864° • Has Winds of 220 Miles Per Hour • Once Has An Ocean • 1,600 Volcanoes • 90% of Surface is Solidified Lava • Many Mountains • Rotates Backwards • No Magnetic Field • Brightest Planet in Sky

6. Earth • Only Planet to Sustain Life • 5th largest • 70% Water • Protective Atmosphere • Burns Up Meteors • Protects From Suns Harmful Rays • 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen and 1% Other • 1 Moon That Stabilizes Earths Wobble • Magnetic Field

7. Mars • Mars is fourth planet from the sun • It was named after the Roman God of war and is referred to as the “red” planet because of the vast amounts of iron oxide on its surface. • Has many similar characteristics as Earth such as volcanoes, deserts and polar ice caps which leads to the argument that life might be able to sustain there. • Mars has two moons (Phobos and Deimos) • Dozens of spacecrafts and other observation tools have been sent to analyze data from Mars. • In 2008 scientists were able to take actual samples of water from soil of the planet for observation. • Mars surface temperatures vary from anywhere between 186K -293K (-87C-20C) Cydonia is a legendary region on Mars that is best known for its face like features Mars has always been chronicled in the media as the alien planet. Lots of movies such as Mars Attack’s have portrayed dangerous creatures from the nearby planet.

8. Asteroid Belt • The asteroid belt is found between Mars and Jupiter. The reason it is called the asteroid belt is because that is where the majority of the asteroids are found. • The reason why the asteroids are found in this region and not spread out in the solar system is because this was the only place where rocky planetesimals could survive for billions of years. The asteroids in the asteroid belt stay clear of any planet and survive in their current orbits for billions of years. • The asteroid belt in thinly populated, which means that spacecrafts can travel through it. There have been many discoveries made about the asteroid belt but there are still many mysteries yet to discover. • What are asteroids? • They are the left over materials from the forming planets. • They are small rocky objects.

9. Jupiter • Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and is the fifth planet from the sun. • It’s one of four gas giant planets in our solar system along with Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. • When viewed from Earth – it’s the third brightest object in the sky behind the moon and Venus. • Jupiter is comprised of hydrogen and helium and has a prominent red spot that has been viewed since the 17th century and is known to be an enormous storm. The storm could fit two to three Earth’s inside it. • Jupiter is 2.5 times the mass of all of the planets in the solar system combined. • Jupiter’s mass is equivalent to 1,321 Earth’s but is only 318 times more massive. Jupiter • There has been seven flyby missions to the gas planet between the years of 1973-2007. • Jupiter has 63 named satellites, however the four largest are known as Galilean Moons. • Jupiter actually has planetary rings that are similar to Saturn’s but are not as visibly noticeable because they’re made of dust rather than ice. lo, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

10. Saturn • Much like Jupiter, Saturn has an abundance of satellites (62) but only 53 have been officially named. • Titan is the largest moon and fulfills 90% of the mass in the orbit around Saturn and is the only body in our solar system other than Earth that has evidence for sustaining liquids. • Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun and is second only to Jupiter in size. • Saturn has a radius about nine times the amount of Earth, but has a mass that is only slightly over 95 times more. • Wind speeds on Saturn can reach up to 1,800 km/hour. • Saturn undoubtedly is known for its planetary rings and are comprised off 93% ice water. There are pieces in the rings that range from small dust particles to the size of a car.

11. Uranus • Uranus is the 7th planet from the sun. • Mass- 8.683e25 kg Diameter- 51,118 km • Its mass is 14.5 times larger then the Earth. • Visited once by Voyager 2 on Jan. 24 1986 • Uranus’ axis is parallel to the ecliptic. • The Atmosphere contains 83% hydrogen, 15% helium and 2% methane. • Uranus has 27 named moons.

12. Neptune • Neptune is the 8th planet from the sun. • Mass- 1.0247e26 kg Diameter- 49,532 km • In 1613 Galileo first thought Neptune was a star. • Visited by Voyager 2 on Aug. 25, 1989. • During certain times Neptune is the farthest planet in the Solar System. • Neptune's winds are the fastest in the solar solar system reaching 2000 km/hour.

13. Pluto- Dwarf Planet • Pluto is the 9th planet from the sun. • Mass- 1.27e22 kg Diameter- 2274 km • Pluto rotates in the opposite direction from most of the planets. • Pluto orbit is very eccentric, it is sometimes closer to the sun then Neptune. • The surface temperature is between -235 and -210 C. • Pluto is suggested to made up of 70% rock and 30% water

14. Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud • The Kuiper Belt is a disk shaped region past the orbit of Neptune containing many small icy bodies. It is about 30-100 AU from the sun. It travels around the sun in the same orbit as the planets. It is the origin for a number of the smaller comets that visit the inner solar system.. • Objects in the Kuiper Belt are any objects orbiting the Sun within the region of the Kuiper Belt. • Some objects include relitively large objects. Some of the large objects found in the Kuiper belt include Pluto, and Eris. • The Oort Cloud is a collection of many individual comets. These comets do not orbit the sun in the same way and their elliptical orbits have random orientations.

15. Mercury, Venus and Earth’s Bibliography Work Cited • http://www.alienresearchcorp.com/space/hd-wallpapers/amazing/ • http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/earth.html • http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/venus-and-mercury-4687/Photos#tab-Photos/1 • http://beyond-our-planet.blogspot.com/2010/09/planet-mercury.html • http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/mercury-article.html • http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/venus-and-mercury-4687/Photos#tab-Photos/0 • http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/venus-article.html • http://www.egyptattraction.com/solar-system-picture.html

16. The Sun, Asteroid Belt and Kuiper Belt’s Bibliography • Bennett, Jeffery. Donahue, Megan. Schneider, Nicholas. Voit, Mark. The Essential Cosmic Perspective. San Francisco, CA: Pearson Education Inc. 2009 • “The Sun, Sun’s Atmosphere” Oracle ThinkQuest Educational Foundation. http://library.thinkquest.org/C0126543/thesunatmosphere.htm • “Main Asteroid Belt” http://www.solstation.com/stars/asteroid.htm • Hamilton, L, Rosanna. “The Oort Cloud” Views of the Solar System. http://www.solarviews.com/eng/oort.htm

17. Mars, Jupiter and Saturn’s Bibliography ^Harvey, Samantha (May 27, 2008). "Mars: Facts & Figures". Solar System Exploration. NASA. Retrieved 2007-03-06. ^"The Lure of Hematite". Science@NASA. NASA. March 28, 2001. Retrieved 2009-12-24. ^"Close Inspection for Phobos". ESA website. Retrieved 2006-06-13. ^Shu, Frank H. (1982). The physical universe: an introduction to astronomy. Series of books in astronomy (12th ed.). University Science Books. p. 426. ISBN0-935702-05-9. Stofan, E. R.; et al. (2007). "The lakes of Titan". Nature445 (1): 61–64. doi:10.1038/nature05438. PMID17203056. Elkins-Tanton, Linda T. (2006). Jupiter and Saturn. New York: Chelsea House. ISBN0-8160-5196-8. Brainerd, Jerome James (October 6, 2004). "Solar System Planets Compared to Earth". The Astrophysics Spectator. Retrieved 2010-07-05. Poulet F.; Cuzzi J.N. (2002). "The Composition of Saturn's Rings". Icarus160: 350. Bibcode2002Icar..160..350P. doi:10.1006/icar.2002.6967.