The Universe! Stars, Planets, Black Holes, and Asteroids By: Leland Elliott

 The Sun is a star at the center of our Solar System.  The Sun will consume the Earth one day.  When all the hydrogen has been burned, the Sun will continue for about 130 million more years burning helium. It will expand and engulf Mercury, Venus, and Earth. At that point it will become a Red Giant.  The Sun is almost a perfect sphere

 Thirteen times a century Mercury can be seen from the Earth passing across the face of the Sun. The next pass will occur on May 9,  A year on Mercury is about 88 days long.  Mercury is the most cratered planet. The craters are named after famous writers and artists.  Venus rotates in the opposite direction to most other planets.  Venus does not tilt on its axis so there are no seasonal changes.  Venus is the hottest planet. The average temperature is 462 ⁰ C.

 Earth has a powerful magnetic field caused by the nickel-iron core and the rapid rotation.  Earth is the densest planet in the Solar System.  The Earth is not round, it is geoid. Its rounded shape has a slight bulge towards the equator.  Mars was named after the Roman god of war.  Mars has the tallest mountain in the Solar System.  Mars has the largest dust storms in the Solar System.

 Jupiter has the shortest day of all the planets. It turns on its axis once every 9 hours and 55 minutes.  Jupiter orbits the Sun once every 11.8 Earth years.  Jupiter’s interior is made of rock, metal, and hydrogen compounds.  Saturn Is the flattest planet.  Saturn turns on its axis every 10 hours and 34 minutes.  Saturn has 150 moons and smaller moonlets. All are frozen worlds.

 Uranus has the coldest temperature of -224 ⁰ C  Uranus is tipped over on its side with an axial tilt of 98 ⁰. It is described as “Rolling around the Sun on it’s side.”  Uranus Has 27 moons and 13 rings.  Neptune was first observed on September 23, Its position was determined using mathematical predictions.  Neptune’s atmosphere is made of hydrogen, helium, and methane.  Neptune has a thin collection of rings and 14 moons.

 A Black Hole is a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light cannot escape.  Black Holes can be big or small. The smallest Black Holes are just one atom. They have the mass of a large mountain.  The largest Black Holes are called “Supermassive.” They have the mass of more than 1 Million Suns put together.  Stellar Black Holes are formed when the center of a very large star collapses and forms a supernova.  The Earth will never be destroyed by a Black Hole.  The Sun will never be a Black Hole (Whew!).

 Asteroids are rocky Solar System bodies.  Asteroids are mainly made of materials left over from the formation of the inner Solar System.  Asteroids come in three composition classes. C-types are made of clay and silicate. S-types are made of silicate rocks and nickel- iron mixtures. M-types are made of metallic nickel-iron.

 Stars radiate energy created from nuclear fusion. The process takes place in a star’s core and involves hydrogen burning to make helium.  The most common stars are Red Dwarfs. They are less than half the size and mass of the Sun. They burn very slowly so they can live over 100 billion years.  Big stars like supergiants and hypergiants have shorter lives because they burn their fuel at a faster rate. As they die they explode as massive bright supernovas.  Very heavy supernovas can turn into Black Holes.

We are all recycled Star Dust! “The answer to life, the universe, and everything is 42.” - The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy