Notes 16 – The Planets Mrs. Gordon Earth Science Thursday, September 17, 2015Thursday, September 17, 2015Thursday, September 17, 2015Thursday, September 17, 2015

Ha Ha funny! My very educated mother just served us nine pizzas! My very educated mother just served us nine pizzas! WHAT?! WHAT?! M, V, E, M, J, S, U, N, P M, V, E, M, J, S, U, N, P How do we know that Saturn was married more than once? How do we know that Saturn was married more than once? Because he has a lot of rings! Because he has a lot of rings!

1. Inner Planets Closer to the sun Closer to the sun More rocky compositions (most original gases were burned off) More rocky compositions (most original gases were burned off)

Inner Planets 2. Mercury 2. Mercury Has extreme day and night temps due to no atmosphere and near the Sun Has extreme day and night temps due to no atmosphere and near the Sun It is the fastest orbiting planet – at 50 Km per second. It is the fastest orbiting planet – at 50 Km per second. Both images were taken in 1975 by the Mariner 10 mission.

Inner Planets 3. Venus 3. Venus Greenhouse effect gone wild, temps hot enough to melt lead. Greenhouse effect gone wild, temps hot enough to melt lead. Has a retrograde rotation (spins in the opposite direction from its orbit) Has a retrograde rotation (spins in the opposite direction from its orbit) Its day is longer than its year!!! (one Venus day = 243 Earth days, one Venus year = 225 Earth days) Its day is longer than its year!!! (one Venus day = 243 Earth days, one Venus year = 225 Earth days) This image was computer generated using altimetry data and imaging radar gathered by the Magellan mission in Sif Mons on the left (1.2 mi high) and Gula Mons on the right (1.8 mi high).

Inner Planets 4. Earth 4. Earth The only known planet with life, as liquid water covers 70% of the surface. The only known planet with life, as liquid water covers 70% of the surface. Earth’s early atmosphere changed after the evolution of oxygen-producing organisms. Earth’s early atmosphere changed after the evolution of oxygen-producing organisms.

Inner Planets 5. Mars 5. Mars ‘Red planet’ - iron rich surface ‘Red planet’ - iron rich surface (when iron oxidizes it turns reddish) (when iron oxidizes it turns reddish) Olympus Mons - largest volcanic mountain in solar system Olympus Mons - largest volcanic mountain in solar system Valles Marineris – canyon stretching the distance from NY to LA! Valles Marineris – canyon stretching the distance from NY to LA! Evidence that there used to be flowing water on its surface…….still has polar ice (CO 2 ) caps Evidence that there used to be flowing water on its surface…….still has polar ice (CO 2 ) caps Life? Life?

Mars Global Surveyor took this composite of daily global images during the recent southern winter. In this view, water ice clouds are present over each of the five largest Tharsis volcanoes. The summertime north polar residual water ice cap can also be seen. Mars Global Surveyor took this composite of daily global images during the recent southern winter. In this view, water ice clouds are present over each of the five largest Tharsis volcanoes. The summertime north polar residual water ice cap can also be seen.

6. Asteroid Belt Located between Mars and Jupiter Located between Mars and Jupiter Thinly distributed rocky material Thinly distributed rocky material The gravitational influence of Jupiter prevented these bodies from forming a planet The gravitational influence of Jupiter prevented these bodies from forming a planet

7. Outer Planets Past the asteroid belt, farther from the sun Past the asteroid belt, farther from the sun Composed of mostly hydrogen and helium Composed of mostly hydrogen and helium

Outer Planets 8. Jupiter 8. Jupiter Most massive planet in our solar system. Most massive planet in our solar system. Jupiter’s ‘Great Red Spot’ is a giant storm, three Earth’s across in diameter. Jupiter’s ‘Great Red Spot’ is a giant storm, three Earth’s across in diameter. Its moon Io is the most volcanically active body in our solar system. Its moon Io is the most volcanically active body in our solar system. Its other Moon - Europa – poss. liquid water below surface – life?? Its other Moon - Europa – poss. liquid water below surface – life?? Io w/ an enormous plume, (200 miles) high, from the volcano Tvashtar.

This amazing color portrait of Jupiter's "Little Red Spot" combines high- resolution images from the New Horizons spacecraft taken on February 27, 2007, with color images taken nearly simultaneously by the Hubble Space Telescope. The LORRI images provide details as fine as 9 miles across, which is approximately 10 times better than Hubble can provide on its own. The improved resolution is possible because New Horizons was only 1.9 million miles away from Jupiter when it snapped its pictures, while Hubble was more than 500 million miles away from the Gas Giant planet.

Outer Planets 9. Saturn 9. Saturn Extensive ring system Extensive ring system Saturn’s density is less than water – so technically, it could float in your bathtub! Saturn’s density is less than water – so technically, it could float in your bathtub! Image taken using red, green and blue filters were combined to create this natural color view. The images were obtained by the filters were combined to create this natural color view. The images were obtained by the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft April 13, 2007, at a distance of approximately 1.1 million miles.

Saturn's shadow stretches completely across the rings in this view, taken on Jan. 19, The view is a mosaic of 36 images -- that is, 12 separate sets of red, green and blue images -- taken over the course of about 2.5 hours, as Cassini scanned across the entire main ring system. Saturn's shadow stretches completely across the rings in this view, taken on Jan. 19, The view is a mosaic of 36 images -- that is, 12 separate sets of red, green and blue images -- taken over the course of about 2.5 hours, as Cassini scanned across the entire main ring system.

Outer Planets 10. Uranus 10. Uranus Gets its blue-green color from methane gas in its upper atmosphere. Gets its blue-green color from methane gas in its upper atmosphere. Its axis is tilted nearly horizontal to its ecliptic plane (82°). Its axis is tilted nearly horizontal to its ecliptic plane (82°). A recent Hubble Space Telescope view reveals Uranus surrounded by its four major rings and by 10 of its 17 known satellites. This false-color image was generated using data taken in 1998 by Hubble.

Outer Planets 11. Neptune 11. Neptune Existence predicted in 1846, before it was visibly observed. Existence predicted in 1846, before it was visibly observed. One orbit = 165 years, so it has, just this year, made one full orbit since discovery One orbit = 165 years, so it has, just this year, made one full orbit since discovery Due to Pluto’s extremely elliptical orbit, Neptune was actually the farthest planet from the Sun from 1979 – Due to Pluto’s extremely elliptical orbit, Neptune was actually the farthest planet from the Sun from 1979 – 1999.

Outer Planets 12. Pluto 12. Pluto No spacecraft have ever visited Pluto – yet. No spacecraft have ever visited Pluto – yet. Is it a planet? Is it a planet? – Nope. – Nope. Lets go ask NASA.... Lets go ask NASA.... Lets go ask NASA.... Lets go ask NASA.... This is the clearest view yet of the distant planet Pluto and its moon, Charon. Though Pluto was discovered in 1930, Charon wasn't detected until That is because the moon is so close to Pluto that the two worlds are typically blurred together when viewed through ground-based telescopes. (’94 Hubble)

Cool websites to go explore….. NASA's Solar System Exploration NASA's Solar System Exploration NASA's Solar System Exploration NASA's Solar System Exploration Solar System Exploration: Planets Solar System Exploration: Planets Solar System Exploration: Planets Solar System Exploration: Planets PlanetQuest: Exoplanet Exploration PlanetQuest: Exoplanet Exploration PlanetQuest: Exoplanet Exploration PlanetQuest: Exoplanet Exploration