1. Uranus, Neptune and Beyond
Physics 112
Star Systems
Lecture 17
Uranus, Neptune and Beyond
Kevin H Knuth
University at Albany
Fall 2012

2. The heavens are now seen to resemble a luxuriant garden, which contains the greatest variety of productions, in different flourishing beds William Herschel Discoverer of Uranus, Mimas, Enceladus, Titania, and Oberon

3. Comparison of Planetary Sizes

4. Comparison of Planetary Interiors

5. Uranus Mass: 8.68 x 1025 kg Diameter: 31,690 km Density: 1.29 gm/cm3
19.2 AU from the Sun Rotation: hours Revolution: 84 years
“Surface” gravity: 7.77 m/s2
“Surface” Temp: -315° F
Atmospheric Composition: 83% H2
15% Helium
2% Methane

6. Uranus

7. Uranus’ Rings

8. Uranus System

10. Uranus’ Moons Oberon Ophelia Portia Prospero Puck Rosalind Setebos
Stephano
Sycorax
S/1986 U10
S/2001 U2
S/2001 U3
S/2003 U1
S/2003 U2
S/2003 U3
Titania
Trinculo
Umbriel
Ariel
Belinda
Bianca
Caliban
Cordelia
Cressida
Desdemona
Juliet
Miranda

11. Uranus’ Moons
Miranda
Ariel
Umbriel
Titania
Oberon

12. Neptune Mass: 1.02 x 1026 kg Diameter: 61,400 km Density: 1.64 gm/cm3
30.1 AU from the Sun Rotation: hours Revolution: years
“Surface” Temp: -243° to ° F
Atmospheric Composition: 85% H2
13% Helium
2% Methane

14. Neptune vs. Earth

15. Neptune

16. High-Altitude Clouds

17. Cirrus Clouds on Neptune

18. Great Dark Spot

19. Small Dark Spot

20. Neptune’s Rings
Neptune’s rings are almost broken into what we call ring arcs.

21. Neptune’s Moons Larissa Proteus Naiad Thalassa Triton Nereid
S/2002 N1 S/2002 N2 S/2002 N3 S/2002 N4 S/2003 N1
Naiad
Thalassa
Despina
Galatea

22. Triton Mass: 2.14 x 1022 kg Diameter: 3,354 km Density: 1.29 gm/cm3
“Surface” Temp: -391° F
Atmospheric Composition: Nitrogen (tenuous)
Coldest known object in the Solar System.
Triton is in a retrograde orbit. Due to its orbit and warped shape scientist’s believe that it once was a double planet and was captured by Neptune. Where its partner is is anyone’s guess!

23. Neptune and Triton

24. Ice Plain

25. Cantaloupe Terrain Such terrain has only been seen on Triton.
It is probably due to tectonic activity with liquid coming up through the cracks and refreezing.

26. A Closeup of Triton

27. Liquid Nitrogen Geysers!!!

28. Artist’s Conception

30. Detection of Triton’s Atmosphere

32. The Icy Worlds of the Kuiper Belt

33. Kuiper Belt

35. Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud
While there
are many
Kuiper Belt
Objects, there
collective
mass is
estimated to
be about
1/10 Earth’s
mass.

38. Pluto, Charon and Nix and Hydra

39. Pluto from HST

40. Best Image of Pluto

41. Pluto Comparison

42. New Horizon’s Mission to Pluto
The New Horizons mission is on its way to Pluto.
It will make Pluto closest approach on
14 July 2015

43. View from Eris (formerly Xena) and Dysnomia

44. View from Sedna