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The Solar System

The Solar System. Terms. PSCI 131: The Solar System. Ecliptic Imaginary plane within which the 8 major planets orbit the Sun Apparent path of Sun across the sky as seen from Earth. PSCI 131: The Solar System. Terms: Ecliptic. From: Wikipedia.org. The Solar System.

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The Solar System

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  1. The Solar System

  2. Terms PSCI 131: The Solar System • Ecliptic • Imaginary plane within which the 8 major planets orbit the Sun • Apparent path of Sun across the sky as seen from Earth

  3. PSCI 131: The Solar System Terms: Ecliptic From: Wikipedia.org

  4. The Solar System PSCI 131: The Solar System • The Early Solar System • Overview • The Terrestrial Planets • The Jovian Planets • Dwarf Planets • Asteroids • Comets • Meteoroids

  5. The Early Solar System

  6. The Early Solar System PSCI 131: The Solar System – The Early Solar System The Nebular Theory From: jcconwell.wordpress.com

  7. The Early Solar System PSCI 131: The Solar System – The Early Solar System The Nebular Theory Planets formed from collisions of smaller objects

  8. Solar System Overview

  9. Overview of the Solar System PSCI 131: The Solar System – Overview • Sun: >99% of solar system’s mass • Major planets • 4 terrestrial • 4 Jovian • Dwarf planets • 5 recognized so far by IAU

  10. Overview of the Solar System PSCI 131: The Solar System – Overview • Asteroids, comets, meteoroids • Leftover material from solar system formation • Fragments from collisions • Dust, gas, radiation

  11. Where does the solar system “end”? PSCI 131: The Solar System – Overview Some scientists define it as the outer edge of the Oort Cloud From: nasa.gov

  12. Where does the solar system “end”? PSCI 131: The Solar System – Overview Others define it as the outermost limit of the Sun’s gravitational influence (the “bow shock”) From: all-geo.org

  13. The 8 Major Planets

  14. What Is A Major Planet? PSCI 131: The Solar System • Spherical • Orbits Sun • Not a moon • Has cleared its orbital path of other objects

  15. Major Planets and Sun PSCI 131: The Solar System – The 8 Major Planets The major planets, shown to scale

  16. The Sun, Major Planets, and Selected Stars Shown to Scale PSCI 131: The Solar System – The 8 Major Planets https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaOPsmlJyw8

  17. The Four Terrestrial Planets PSCI 131: The Solar System – Terrestrial Planets • “Terrestrial”: Earth-like • Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars The terrestrial planets, shown to scale From: wikipedia.org

  18. The Four Terrestrial Planets PSCI 131: The Solar System – Terrestrial Planets • Small • Rocky • Dense • Thin atmospheres • Short years • Long days • Main heat source: Sun VENUS EARTH MARS MERCURY From: wikipedia.org

  19. Mercury PSCI 131: The Solar System – Terrestrial Planets • Orbital period: 88 days • Rotation period: 59 days • Temp range: -270° F – 870° F • Atmosphere: None From: wwu.edu From: wikipedia.org From: wikipedia.org

  20. Venus PSCI 131: The Solar System – Terrestrial Planets • Orbital period: 225 days • Rotation period: 243 days • Temperature: 900° F • Atmosphere: 97% CO2 Cloud cover of Venus. From: ircamera.as.arizona.edu Surface of Venus, photographed with cloud-penetrating radar. From: annesastronomynews.com

  21. Earth PSCI 131: The Solar System – Terrestrial Planets • Orbital period: 365.25 days • Rotation period: 23 hr 56 min • Temperature: 58° F (2012 average) • Atmosphere: Nitrogen, oxygen, argon, water, CO2 Earth as seen from the Moon. From: science1.nasa.gov Earth from low-altitude orbit. From: astexhibits.com

  22. Mars PSCI 131: The Solar System – Terrestrial Planets • Orbital period: 687 days • Rotation period: 24 hr 37 min • Temperature: -80° F (average) • Atmosphere: Thin, CO2 Mars from low-altitude orbit, showing atmosphere. From: wikipedia.org

  23. Mars PSCI 131: The Solar System – Terrestrial Planets Olympus Mons volcano Volcanoes and water ice clouds on Mars. From: jpl.nasa.gov Olympus Mons. Cliff at base is 5 miles high. Inset shows height compared to Earth mountains. From: wikipedia.org

  24. The Four Jovian Planets PSCI 131: The Solar System – Jovian Planets • “Jovian”: Jupiter-like • Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune The Jovian planets, shown to scale From: cseligman.com

  25. The Four Jovian Planets PSCI 131: The Solar System – Jovian Planets • Large • Gas & ice • Low density • Long years • Short days • Main heat source: internal (from gravitational compression) Jovian planets compared to the Sun and Earth (far right) Modified from: wikipedia.org

  26. Jupiter PSCI 131: The Solar System – Jovian Planets • Orbital period: 12 years • Rotation period: 9 hr 56 min • Temperature: -234° F (cloud tops) • Atmosphere: Hydrogen, helium From: photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov Jupiter as it would look if it were the same distance from Earth as the Moon. From: tholtz.com

  27. PSCI 131: The Solar System – Jovian Planets Jupiter’s Atmosphere • Mostly H and He • Would have become a sun if it had been bigger • Pressure within atmosphere is high enough to make liquid and metallic hydrogen Cross-section of Jupiter compared with Earth. 125°K is about -234°F; 2000°K is about 3100°F.

  28. Jupiter: The Great Red Spot PSCI 131: The Solar System – Jovian Planets Short GRS movie High-res photo of the Great Red Spot, an ancient storm the size of three Earths.

  29. Saturn PSCI 131: The Solar System – Jovian Planets • Orbital period: 30 years • Rotation period: 10 hr 30 min • Temperature: -288° F (cloud tops) • Atmosphere: Hydrogen, helium Saturn imaged by the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft, 2008. From: nasa.gov Earth as seen from Saturn Saturn’s rings and Earth, taken by Cassini-Huygens spacecraft, 2008. From: nasa.gov

  30. Saturn’s Moon Titan PSCI 131: The Solar System – Jovian Planets Comparison of Titan with Earth and Earth’s moon. • Atmosphere: Nitrogen, methane • Only moon known to have an atmosphere • Bodies of stable liquid on surface • Methane, ethane Titan’s surface. From: nasa.gov

  31. Uranus PSCI 131: The Solar System – Jovian Planets • Orbital period: 84 years • Rotation period: 17 hr 14 min • Temperature: -357° F (cloud tops) • Atmosphere: Hydrogen, helium, frozen ammonia and methane • Rotates on its side: Axis Uranus showing rings and cloud bands. From: nasa.gov

  32. Neptune PSCI 131: The Solar System – Jovian Planets • Orbital period: 165 years • Rotation period: 16 hr 7 min • Temperature: -392° F (cloud tops) • Atmosphere: Hydrogen, helium, frozen ammonia and methane Neptune with cloud bands, cirrus clouds (white) and storm systems (dark spots). From: nasa.gov

  33. The Dwarf Planets PSCI 131: The Solar System

  34. What Is A Dwarf Planet? PSCI 131: The Solar System • Spherical • Orbits Sun • Not a moon • Has NOT cleared its orbital path of other objects

  35. Five Recognized Dwarf Planets(Listed in order of decreasing size) PSCI 131: The Solar System – Dwarf Planets • Eris • Pluto • Makemake • Haumea • Ceres • All are located in “debris belts”

  36. ASTEROID BELT KUIPER BELT SUN Orbit of Uranus Orbit of Neptune Debris Belt Locations Orbit of Earth Orbit of Mars

  37. OORT CLOUD KUIPER BELT ASTEROID BELT Debris Belt Locations Orbit of Uranus Orbit of Neptune

  38. OORT CLOUD Debris Belt Locations KUIPER BELT ASTEROID BELT

  39. Five Recognized Dwarf Planets PSCI 131: The Solar System – Dwarf Planets • Eris: Kuiper Belt • Pluto: Kuiper Belt • Makemake: Kuiper Belt • Haumea: Kuiper Belt • Ceres: Asteroid Belt • Oort Cloud: No recognized dwarf planets; trillions of comets

  40. The Smaller Objects: Asteroids, Comets, & Meteoroids PSCI 131: The Solar System

  41. Asteroids PSCI 131: The Solar System – Smaller Objects • Size: 10s to 100s of miles • Shape: Irregular • Composition: Rock, metal • Atmosphere: None • Location: Mostly in Asteroid Belt

  42. What Does the Asteroid Belt Look Like? PSCI 131: The Solar System – Smaller Objects (Nope…)

  43. What Does the Asteroid Belt Look Like? PSCI 131: The Solar System – Smaller Objects It’s mostly empty space

  44. Asteroids: Earth Crossers PSCI 131: The Solar System – Smaller Objects

  45. Comets PSCI 131: The Solar System – Smaller Objects • Size: average diameter about 5 miles • Shape: Irregular • Composition: Ice, rock & metal fragments • Atmosphere: None • Location: Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud Halley’s Comet, 1986 From: dailygalaxy.com

  46. Comets PSCI 131: The Solar System – Smaller Objects Structure of a comet

  47. Comets PSCI 131: The Solar System – Smaller Objects A comet’s coma and tail only form near the Sun. The tail always points away from the Sun.

  48. Comets PSCI 131: The Solar System – Smaller Objects Comet Shoemaker-Levy struck Jupiter in 1994.

  49. Meteors PSCI 131: The Solar System – Smaller Objects • Size: sand grain (average) • Composition: Rock, metal

  50. Meteors PSCI 131: The Solar System – Smaller Objects • Meteor: within a planet’s atmosphere • Meteorite: has struck the ground • Meteoroid: still in space

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