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A Spacecraft Tour of the Solar System. James Zimbelman Center for Earth and Planetary Studies National Air and Space Museum. photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov. The Sun Diam. ~109E. ‘The Center’ >99.99% mass of the SS Energy! Typical ‘middle -aged’ star. Transition Region And
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A Spacecraft Tour of the Solar System James Zimbelman Center for Earth and Planetary Studies National Air and Space Museum photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov
The Sun Diam. ~109E ‘The Center’ >99.99% mass of the SS Energy! Typical ‘middle -aged’ star Transition Region And Coronal Explorer
A Moon-like body No significant atmosphere Very large iron core Mercury Diam. ~0.3E (1/14/08) MESSENGER Mariner 10 (74-75)
Image coverage of Mercury (before MESSENGER orbit, 3/11) PIA 12278
Beagle Rupes (MESSENGER, 6/12/11) Complex (volcanic) crater (MESSENGER, 7/7/11) Discovery Rupes (M10)
Venus Diam. ~0.9E Earth-like size Dense, thick atmosphere Hot!!! Magellan (90-94)
Impact Craters Not many, but very distinctive … Magellan (90-94)
Volcanism Domes, lava flows, central volcanoes, etc. Magellan (90-94)
Tectonism - the surface is very broken in many places … (Crater rim) Magellan (90-94)
Earth The Blue Planet Blue - oceans (liquid water) White - clouds (condensed water vapor) White - polar ice (frozen water) Apollo 17 (72)
A Perseid meteor below ISS! NASA/JSC (8/13/11)
The Moon Diam. ~0.25E We are almost a double planet Clementine (01) Galileo (96)
Apollo 11 Apollo 12
The Apollo 17 landing site LROC NAC (from 22 km alt) NASA/GSFC/ASU
Mars Diam. ~0.5E The Red Planet Thin atmosphere Limited H2O Lots of history Hubble Space Telescope
Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit Landed in Gusev Crater 1/3/04 Opportunity Landed in MeridianiPlanum 1/25/04
Driven 7.73 km (4.80 mi) Spiritin Gusev Crater(last communication, 3/10)