Outer Solar System

Planets Outer solar system is dominated entirely by the four Jovian planets, but is populated by billions of small icy objects Giant gas planets – Jupiter, Saturn Jupiter dominate inner solar system Giant ice planets – Uranus, Neptune Neptune dominates the outer solar system

Outer Solar System Oort Cloud Distant distribution of icy objects left over from the collalpse of the solar nebula into the planetary disk and Sun Proposed by Ernst Opik in 1932 and reintroduced in the 1950s by Jan Oort to account for the resupply of the high-inclinaiton, eccentric orbit comets over the life of the solar system We see new comets on a regular basis Extends from the planetary disk to several thousand AU Beyond the Sun's heliosphere, but inside it gravitational influence

Outer Solar System

Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNO) A broad family of cometary objects orbiting the Sun beyond Neptune A broad family of cometary objects orbiting the Sun beyond Neptune Named because of the influence of Neptune on the small bodies in the outer solar system Named because of the influence of Neptune on the small bodies in the outer solar system

Outer Solar System

Scattered Disk Objects (SDO) A subset of the TNOs that are scattered by Neptune A subset of the TNOs that are scattered by Neptune Orbital eccentricities ranging as high as 0.8 Orbital eccentricities ranging as high as 0.8 Inclinations as high as 40° Inclinations as high as 40° Perihelia greater than 30 AU Perihelia greater than 30 AU Believed to be the result of gravitational "scattering" by the Jovian planets Believed to be the result of gravitational "scattering" by the Jovian planets Continue to be perturbed by Neptune Continue to be perturbed by Neptune

Outer Solar System

Kuiper Belt A region containing cometary objects extending beyond Neptune A region containing cometary objects extending beyond Neptune Proposed by Gerald Kuiper to account for the discontinuity between Neptune and the comet population Proposed by Gerald Kuiper to account for the discontinuity between Neptune and the comet population

Outer Solar System

Comets Comets are the ice planetesimals that generally populate the outer solar system Comets are the ice planetesimals that generally populate the outer solar system Composed of ices (water, carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia) and dust (graphite, metals, oxides, silicates) Composed of ices (water, carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia) and dust (graphite, metals, oxides, silicates) Dark in color - some of the darkest objects in the solar system Dark in color - some of the darkest objects in the solar system Undergo heating and transformation if their perihelion brings them 1-2 AU from the Sun Undergo heating and transformation if their perihelion brings them 1-2 AU from the Sun

Outer Solar System Plutinos Large comets with the same semimajor axis as Pluto Large comets with the same semimajor axis as Pluto Differ in eccentricity and inclination Exist at the 3:2 stabilizing resonance with Neptune Differ in eccentricity and inclination Exist at the 3:2 stabilizing resonance with Neptune Twotinos are located in 2:1 resonance position with Neptune Twotinos are located in 2:1 resonance position with Neptune

Outer Solar System Centaurs Comet-like asteroids located between Jupiter and Neptune Comet-like asteroids located between Jupiter and Neptune Caught in transition orbits moving towards or away from the Sun due to Jupiter's and Neptune's gravitational influence Caught in transition orbits moving towards or away from the Sun due to Jupiter's and Neptune's gravitational influence Also influenced by the gravity and motion of Saturn and Uranus Also influenced by the gravity and motion of Saturn and Uranus

Outer Solar System

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