Week 6 Notes The Outer Planets

1. Week 6 Notes The Outer Planets Ch. 3, Section 4 Page 94 – 101

2. I. GAS GIANTS AND PLUTO a. The __4__ Outer Planets are ___JUPITER__, __SATURN__, __URANUS__, and __NEPTUNE__ b. These planets do not have __SOLID__ surfaces and are called __GAS GIANTS__ c. Gas Giants are made up of mainly __HYDROGEN__ and __HELIUM__ d. __GAS GIANTS__ exert a stronger __GRAVTIATIONAL__ force than the __TERRESTRIAL__ planets e. __GRAVITY__ keeps the gases from __ESCAPING__ f. Gas Giants are made up of __LIQUID__ for of the gas due to the enormous __PRESSURE__ g. All of the gas giants have many __MOONS__ and a set of __RINGS__ h. A __RING__ is a thin disk of small particles of __ICE__ and __ROCK__

3. II. JUPITER a. __JUPITER__ is the largest and most __MASSIVE__ planet b. Jupiter’s __MASS__ is __2 ½ __ times that all the other planets combined A. Jupiter’s Atmosphere a. Jupiter has a thick __ATMOSPHERE__ made up mainly of __HYDROGEN__ and __HELIUM__ b. The __GREAT__ __RED__ __SPOT__ is a storm that is larger than __EARTH__ c. Unlike a __HURRICANE__ this storm does not weaken, it has been going strong since the __MID-1600’s__

4. B. Jupiter’s Structure a. The __CORE__ is made of __ROCK__ and __IRON__ and the __MANTLE__ is __LIQUID__ gas b. The pressure at Jupiter’s __CORE__ is about __30 MILLION__ times greater than the pressure at __EARTH”S__ surface C. Jupiter’s Moons a. __GALILEO__ discovered Jupiter’s __4__ largest moons b. The 4 moons are __IO__, __EUROPA__, __GANYMEDE__, and __CALLISTO__ c. All 4 moons are __LARGER__ than __EARTH’S__ moon d. Jupiter has __63__ moons

5. III. SATURN a. The __SECOND__ largest planet in the __SOLAR SYSTEM__ b. Saturn is the only planet whose average __DENSITY__ is __LESS__ than __WATER__ A. Saturn’s Rings a. The rings are made of chunks of __ICE__ and __ROCKS__, each traveling in its own __ORBIT__ b. Saturn’s __RINGS__ are broad and thin, like a __CD__ B. Saturn’s Moons a. __TITAN__ is larger than the planet __MERCURY__ b. __SATURN__ has __56__ moons

6. IV. Uranus a. Uranus is __TWICE__ as far from the __SUN__ as __SATURN__, so it’s much __COLDER__ b. Uranus has traces of __METHANE__ in its atmosphere c. Uranus has thin, flat __RINGS__ A. Discovery of Uranus • William __HERSCHEL__ found the 1st __PLANET__ since ancient times in __1781__ • Herschel became __FAMOUS__ and started a new era of active __EXPLORATION__

7. B. Exploring Uranus a. __VOYAGER 2__ showed Uranus __ROTATES__ in about __17__ hours b. Uranus’s __AXIS__ of rotation is __TILTED__ at an angle of __90__ degrees c. Astronomers think that __BILLION__ of years ago Uranus was __HIT__ by an __OBJECT__ that knocked it to its __SIDE__ C. Uranus’s Moons a. Uranus’s moons have __ICEY__, __CRATERED__ surfaces with __LAVA__ flows on it. b. __URANUS__ has __27__ moons

8. V. NEPTUNE a. Scientists think that __NEPTUNE__ is slowly __SHRINKING__ causing the interior to __HEAT__ up A. Discovery of Neptune a. The discovery of Neptune was a result of a __MATHEMATICAL__ prediction B. Exploring Neptune a. The __GREAT__ __DARK__ __SPOT__ was the size of __EARTH__ and was probably __GIANT STORM__ b. After the __DISCOVERY__ of the Great Dark Spot it __DISAPPEARED__ __5__ years later C. Neptune’s Moons a. The largest moon is __TRITON__ b. __NEPTUNE__ has __13__ moons

9. VI. PLUTO a. Pluto has a __SOLID__ surface and is much __SMALLER__ and __DENSER__ than the outer planets b. __PLUTO__ is smaller than __EARTH__ c. Pluto has __3__ moons A. Pluto’s Orbit a. Pluto __ORBITS__ the sun once every __248__ Earth __YEARS__ b. Pluto gets __CLOSER__ to the sun than __NEPTUNE__ on part of its __ORBIT__

10. B. Dwarf Planets a. After the discovery of __LARGER__ and __FARTHER__ bodies from the sun than Pluto Astronomers created the term __DWARF PLANETS__ b. A __DWARF PLANET__ is __ROUND__ and __ORBITS__ the sun, but has not __