Chapter 4: The Solar System
Goals Describe the scale of the solar system Summarize differences between terrestrial and jovian planets Summarize the properties of asteroids Describe the composition and properties of comets List and explain major facts of the formation of the solar system Outline the process by which planets form
Chapter 4: The Solar System Our current inventory of the solar system reports 1 star 9 planets 63 moons 6 large asteroids more than 4000 small asteroids many comets countless < 100 meter meteoroids
Chapter 4: The Solar System Solar system properties All planets orbit in same direction All planets orbit in same plane (within 20 o ) Distances of planets form Sun grows geometrically Density of planets decreases as you go out All rotate in same direction except Venus
Chapter 4: The Solar System
Asteroids Over 4,000 are tracked and cataloged Located between 2.1 and 3.3 A.U Close to ecliptic plane (20 o ) High eccentric orbits ( ) Trojans are 60 o ahead and behind Jupiter Earth crossing asteroids are real
Chapter 4: The Solar System
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