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Published byMarsha Patrick Modified over 9 years ago
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The Solar System
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Terms Ecliptic –Imaginary plane within which the 8 major planets orbit the Sun –Apparent path of Sun across the sky as seen from Earth PSCI 131: The Solar System
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Terms: Ecliptic PSCI 131: The Solar System From: Wikipedia.org
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The Solar System The Early Solar System Overview The Terrestrial Planets The Jovian Planets Dwarf Planets Asteroids Comets Meteoroids PSCI 131: The Solar System
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The Early Solar System
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PSCI 131: The Solar System – The Early Solar System From: jcconwell.wordpress.comjcconwell.wordpress.com The Nebular Theory
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The Early Solar System PSCI 131: The Solar System – The Early Solar System Planets formed from collisions of smaller objects The Nebular Theory
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Solar System Overview
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Overview of the Solar System Sun: >99% of solar system’s mass Major planets –4 terrestrial –4 Jovian Dwarf planets –5 recognized so far by IAU PSCI 131: The Solar System – Overview
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Overview of the Solar System Asteroids, comets, meteoroids –Leftover material from solar system formation –Fragments from collisions Dust, gas, radiation PSCI 131: The Solar System – Overview
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The 8 Major Planets
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What Is A Major Planet? Spherical Orbits Sun Not a moon Has cleared its orbital path of other objects PSCI 131: The Solar System
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Major Planets and Sun PSCI 131: The Solar System – The 8 Major Planets The major planets, shown to scale
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The Four Terrestrial Planets “Terrestrial”: Earth-like Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars PSCI 131: The Solar System – Terrestrial Planets The terrestrial planets, shown to scale From: wikipedia.org
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The Four Terrestrial Planets Small Rocky Dense Thin atmospheres Short years Long days Main heat source: Sun PSCI 131: The Solar System – Terrestrial Planets EARTH VENUS MARS MERCURY From: wikipedia.org
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Mercury PSCI 131: The Solar System – Terrestrial Planets From: wwu.edu From: wikipedia.org Orbital period: 88 days Rotation period: 59 days Temp range: -270° F – 870° F Atmosphere: None
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Venus PSCI 131: The Solar System – Terrestrial Planets Cloud cover of Venus. From: ircamera.as.arizona.edu Surface of Venus, photographed with cloud-penetrating radar. From: annesastronomynews.com Orbital period: 225 days Rotation period: 243 days Temperature: 900° F Atmosphere: 97% CO 2
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Earth PSCI 131: The Solar System – Terrestrial Planets Earth from low-altitude orbit. From: astexhibits.com Earth as seen from the Moon. From: science1.nasa.gov Orbital period: 365.25 days Rotation period: 23 hr 56 min Temperature: 58° F (2012 average) Atmosphere: Nitrogen, oxygen, argon, water, CO 2
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Mars PSCI 131: The Solar System – Terrestrial Planets Mars from low-altitude orbit, showing atmosphere. From: wikipedia.org Orbital period: 687 days Rotation period: 24 hr 37 min Temperature: -80° F (average) Atmosphere: Thin, CO 2
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Mars PSCI 131: The Solar System – Terrestrial Planets Volcanoes and water ice clouds on Mars. From: jpl.nasa.gov Olympus Mons volcano Olympus Mons. Cliff at base is 5 miles high. Inset shows height compared to Earth mountains. From: wikipedia.org
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The Four Jovian Planets “Jovian”: Jupiter-like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune PSCI 131: The Solar System – Jovian Planets The Jovian planets, shown to scale From: cseligman.com
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The Four Jovian Planets Large Gas & ice Low density Long years Short days Main heat source: internal (from gravitational compression) PSCI 131: The Solar System – Jovian Planets Jovian planets compared to the Sun and Earth (far right) Modified from: wikipedia.org
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Jupiter PSCI 131: The Solar System – Jovian Planets Jupiter as it would look if it were the same distance from Earth as the Moon. From: tholtz.com Orbital period: 12 years Rotation period: 9 hr 56 min Temperature: -234° F (cloud tops) Atmosphere: Hydrogen, helium From: photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov
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Jupiter’s Atmosphere PSCI 131: The Solar System – Jovian Planets Cross-section of Jupiter compared with Earth. 125°K is about -234°F; 2000°K is about 3100°F. Mostly H and He Would have become a sun if it had been bigger Pressure within atmosphere is high enough to make liquid and metallic hydrogen
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Jupiter: The Great Red Spot PSCI 131: The Solar System – Jovian Planets High-res photo of the Great Red Spot, an ancient storm the size of three Earths.
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Saturn PSCI 131: The Solar System – Jovian Planets Saturn imaged by the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft, 2008. From: nasa.gov Orbital period: 30 years Rotation period: 10 hr 30 min Temperature: -288° F (cloud tops) Atmosphere: Hydrogen, helium Saturn’s rings and Earth, taken by Cassini-Huygens spacecraft, 2008. From: nasa.gov Earth as seen from Saturn
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Saturn’s Moon Titan PSCI 131: The Solar System – Jovian Planets Comparison of Titan with Earth and Earth’s moon. Atmosphere: Nitrogen, methane Only moon known to have an atmosphere Bodies of stable liquid on surface Methane, ethane Titan’s surface. From: nasa.gov
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Orbital period: 84 years Rotation period: 17 hr 14 min Temperature: -357° F (cloud tops) Atmosphere: Hydrogen, helium, frozen ammonia and methane Rotates on its side: Uranus PSCI 131: The Solar System – Jovian Planets Uranus showing rings and cloud bands. From: nasa.gov Axis
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Orbital period: 165 years Rotation period: 16 hr 7 min Temperature: -392° F (cloud tops) Atmosphere: Hydrogen, helium, frozen ammonia and methane Neptune PSCI 131: The Solar System – Jovian Planets Neptune with cloud bands, cirrus clouds (white) and storm systems (dark spots). From: nasa.gov
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The Dwarf Planets PSCI 131: The Solar System
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What Is A Dwarf Planet? Spherical Orbits Sun Not a moon Has NOT cleared its orbital path of other objects PSCI 131: The Solar System
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Five Recognized Dwarf Planets (Listed in order of decreasing size) Eris Pluto Makemake Haumea Ceres All are located in “debris belts” PSCI 131: The Solar System – Dwarf Planets
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Debris Belt Locations Orbit of Earth Orbit of Mars ASTEROID BELT SUN KUIPER BELT Orbit of Uranus Orbit of Neptune
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Debris Belt Locations ASTEROID BELT KUIPER BELT Orbit of Uranus Orbit of Neptune OORT CLOUD
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Five Recognized Dwarf Planets Eris: Kuiper Belt Pluto: Kuiper Belt Makemake: Kuiper Belt Haumea: Kuiper Belt Ceres: Asteroid Belt Oort Cloud: No recognized dwarf planets; trillions of comets PSCI 131: The Solar System – Dwarf Planets
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The Smaller Objects: Asteroids, Comets, & Meteoroids PSCI 131: The Solar System
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Asteroids Size: 10s to 100s of miles Shape: Irregular Composition: Rock, metal Atmosphere: None Location: Mostly in Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter PSCI 131: The Solar System – Smaller Objects
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(doesn’t look like this) PSCI 131: The Solar System – Smaller Objects The Asteroid Belt
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What Does the Asteroid Belt Look Like? PSCI 131: The Solar System – Smaller Objects It’s mostly empty space
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Asteroids: Earth Crossers PSCI 131: The Solar System – Smaller Objects
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Comets Size: average diameter about 5 miles Shape: Irregular Composition: Ice, rock & metal fragments Atmosphere: None Location: Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud PSCI 131: The Solar System – Smaller Objects Halley’s Comet, 1986 From: dailygalaxy.com
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Comets PSCI 131: The Solar System – Smaller Objects Structure of a comet
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Comets PSCI 131: The Solar System – Smaller Objects A comet’s coma and tail only form near the Sun. The tail always points away from the Sun.
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Comets PSCI 131: The Solar System – Smaller Objects Comet Shoemaker-Levy struck Jupiter in 1994.
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Meteors Size: sand grain (average) Composition: Rock, metal PSCI 131: The Solar System – Smaller Objects
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Meteors Meteor: within a planet’s atmosphere Meteorite: has struck the ground Meteoroid: still in space PSCI 131: The Solar System – Smaller Objects
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The Chelyabinsk “Meteor”, February 15, 2013 Approx. mass: 11K tons Approx. size: 60 ft Velocity: 41K mph Altitude of airburst: 76K feet Energy: 500K tons of TNT Injuries: 1,491 Damage: 7,200 buildings PSCI 131: The Solar System – Smaller Objects VIDEO: Chelyabinsk meteor airburst and building damageChelyabinsk meteor airburst and building damage
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