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A Tour Of The Solar System

A Tour Of The Solar System. Galaxies. Galaxies are huge regions of space that contain the stars, planets, and other astronomical features They can have many shapes Spiral Elliptical Irregular Our galaxy is known as the milky way galaxy

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A Tour Of The Solar System

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  1. A Tour Of The Solar System

  2. Galaxies • Galaxies are huge regions of space that contain the stars, planets, and other astronomical features • They can have many shapes • Spiral • Elliptical • Irregular • Our galaxy is known as the milky way galaxy • Http://www.astro.Princeton.edu/~frei/Gcat_htm/cat_ims.htm

  3. Milky Way Galaxy • 80,000 light years across • Spiral shaped with 4 arms • We are located in the Orion arm • Nearest neighbor is Andromeda (2.2 Million light years)

  4. Solar System

  5. Origin of the Solar System • The solar system began as nothing more than dust • Gravity caused the dust to condense and spin • As the cloud gets hotter and denser fusion takes place • The fusion results in the birth of a star

  6. Proto – Planetary Disc • As our star, the sun, is being formed it is surrounded by a disc of debris and gas • These particles interact and accumulate to form the plants • When the sun forms it emits solar wind • This wind pushes lighter material outward (the gases)

  7. The Sun • One of more than 100 billion in our galaxy • Rotates about the nucleus at about 137 miles/sec • Takes about 200 million years to complete a rotation • Accounts for 99.8% of the mass of our solar system

  8. The Sun Cont. • The sun is the center of the solar system • Because it is so massive all of the planets are captured in its gravity field and orbit it • Composed of 75% hydrogen and 25% helium • The core is about 15.6 million Kelvin • The surface, photosphere, is about 5800 K

  9. The Planets • There are 9 planets that orbit the sun • The orbit is in an elliptical path • The plane along which the planets orbit is known as the ecliptic

  10. The Earth • 3rd rock from the sun (5th largest) • 149,600,000 km from the sun • Rotation: 23 hr 56 min • Orbit: 365.26 days • Mass: 5.97 x 1024 kg • Gravity: 1.0 • Obliquity: 23.5 degrees

  11. Formation of the Earth • The earth was formed from accreted particles in the proto-planetary disc about 4.6 Ga • As the material was accreted it began to differentiate (responsible for internal layering) • The denser material sank towards the center (iron core) • Lighter material rose towards the top (crust)

  12. Seasons • The earth spins about an axis that is at an angle of 23 degrees with the ecliptic • This angle causes different regions of the earth to experience variable amounts of sunlight throughout the year

  13. Earth’s Magnetic Field • The liquid outer core of the earth is in a state of convection • This convection is responsible for a magnetic field about the earth • The magnetic field of the earth resembles that of a bar magnet • Solar wind from the sun interacts with the magnetic field to create the northern lights

  14. Aurora Borealis

  15. The earth is distinguishable from the other terrestrial planets because of its surface water Water accounts for 71% of the earth’s surface The earth’s atmosphere is 77% nitrogen and 21% oxygen The atmosphere helps block out harmful rays and maintains the surface temperature Earth’s Oceans and Atmosphere

  16. The Moon • Earth’s only satellite • 384,000 km from earth • 1738 km radius • Mass: 0.07 x 1024 kg • Gravity: 0.16 • Orbit: 27.32 days • Rotation: 27.32 days • 4.4 Ga old • No: • Magnetic field • Oceans • Plate tectonics • Atmosphere

  17. Moon Formation • During the earth’s formation a large object collided with the earth • The ejected material is the moon • Differentiation was already in process so the moon is composed of the lighter external materials (largely basalts)

  18. Moon’s Surface • The surface of the moon is composed largely of basalts • The major surface feature are craters from meteoroid impacts • Evidence of lava flows exist for impact craters greater than 100 km

  19. The Moon’s Rotation • The rotation of the moon is the same as the orbit. • This implies that we always see the same side of the moon. • The phase of the moon that we see depends on the moon’s location relative to the sun

  20. Mercury • Closest planet to the sun (58 million km) • Second smallest planet 2,439 km radius • Mass: .33 x 1024 kg • Gravity: 0.38 • Orbit: 87.96 days • Rotation: 58.65 days

  21. Mercury Rotation • Mercury rotates 1.5 times per each orbit • This 3:2 ratio causes the mercury day to be extremely long (176 earth days) • During the day the surface can get as hot as 700 K • During the night the surface cools to 100 K

  22. Mercury Surface • Dominated by craters and basins • Cratering took place early (ended 3.8 Ga) • Largest basin: Caloris Planitia • 1300 km diameter • Plains regions also exist • Evidence of lava flows • Scarps are other surface features • Evidence of contraction

  23. Mercury’s Interior • Despite its small size, mercury is very dense • Implies internal composition must be iron • Presence of a magnetic field (1% of earth’s) confirmed this • To account for magnetic field and density, mercury is 70% metal and 30% silicates • Believed that a large impact after differentiation ejected most of the silicate material

  24. No surface water exist on the surface of mercury Potentially ice located in craters that see little sun (polar regions) Possesses a thin atmosphere Atmosphere is surface material lifted by solar wind interaction Water / Atmosphere

  25. Venus • 2nd planet from the sun (108 million km) • Radius: 6,052 km • Mass: 4.87 x 1024 kg • Gravity: 0.76 • Orbit: 224.7 days • Rotation: 243 days

  26. Atmosphere • Very thick cloud cover • Atmosphere composed mostly of carbon dioxide • Clouds composed of sulfuric acid • Effect is a runaway greenhouse • Surface pressure: 90 atm (the same as 1 km depth in earth’s oceans) • Surface temperature: 700 K

  27. Venusian Surface • Very dry • Young (500 my) • Mostly lava plains • Two regions of major relief • Ishtar terra (polar) • Aphrodite terra (equatorial) • Few impact craters • Volcanic features

  28. Venus Interior • Venus is very similar to earth in size, mass, and distance • Implies similar interior structure • The core of Venus is still hot from formation and radioactive materials • Implies the mantle convects

  29. Plate Tectonics? • Although Venus is currently inactive, did plate tectonics exist in the past? • Young surface age believed to be result of global overturn. • The overturn marks the transition from a mobile lithosphere to a stagnant lithosphere.

  30. Venus Rotation • The obliquity of Venus is nearly 180 degrees. • The effect of this is a retrograde rotation. • On Venus it would appear as if the sun rose in west and sat in the east.

  31. Mars • 4th planet from the sun (228 million km) • Radius: 3393 km • Mass: 0.64 x 1024 kg • Gravity: 0.39 • Orbit: 686.98 days • Rotation: 24 hrs 37 min

  32. Mars has an axial tilt of 25. Orbital period is nearly twice that of the earth’s so seasons are nearly twice as long. Tilt and highly elliptical orbit results in temperature variations from 140 K to 300 K. The atmosphere of mars is very thin Composed primarily of CO2 Seasonal dust storms results in a lot of dust in the atmosphere Small % of water in atmosphere can produce clouds Mar’s Rotation / Atmosphere

  33. Martian Atmosphere

  34. Features include: Shield volcanoes: Olympus Mons (24 km high and 550 km wide) Patera: Shield volcanoes that do not rise very high but extend for great distances. Channels: Valles Marineris (3000 km long, 8 km deep, and 600 km wide) Southern hemisphere heavily cratered while northern hemisphere is not Inactive Martian Surface

  35. Water? • Mars contains polar caps • Channels suggest water at some point in the martian history • Current hypothesis: • Water is located beneath the surface (much like permafrost on earth)

  36. Martian Interior • Smaller so had longer time to cool • Less dense so core probably has sulfer and iron composition • Core is 1700 km thick • Mantle: 1300 km • Crust: 80 km

  37. Is There Life on Mars? • Popular notion since Lowell • Believed that seasonal color changes were evidence of vegetation and channels were man made • Recent findings indicate some biological activity

  38. Moons Of Mars • Two moons: Deimos and Phobos • Both carbon rich but low density suggest both contain ice as well • Probably astroids captured by mars gravity • Deimos smallest moon in solar system (6.3 km radius) • Phobos: 11 km radius but only 6000 km above surface

  39. Jupiter • 5th planet from the sun (778.3 million km) • Radius: 71,398 km • Mass: 1900 x 1024 kg • Gravity: 2.74 • Orbit: 4,333 days • Rotation: 9 hrs 50.5 min

  40. Jupiter Composition • Likely to have a rocky core (10 - 15 x the mass of the earth) • Above the core there exist liquid metallic hydrogen • Only exist at pressures > 4 million bars • Consist of ionized protons and electrons (source of magnetic field) • Outermost layer is regular hydrogen and helium • We actually observe the clouds of Jupiter

  41. Jupiter’s Clouds • Variable composition consisting of: • Ammonia ice • Ammonia hydrosulfide • Water and ice • Confined to bands of latitude that rotate in opposite directions • Most prominent feature is the GRS • High pressure zone (rises higher than surrounding clouds)

  42. Jupiter’s Rings • Voyager discovered in 1971 • Contains no ice • Very thin and dark • Composed of rocky material probably from the inner four moons • Constantly replenished since atmospheric and magnetic field deplete them

  43. Jupiter’s Moons • At least 16 • 4 largest (Galilean): • Callisto • Io • Ganymede • Europa • 4 inner moons: • Thebe • Metis • Andrastea • Amalthea

  44. Io • It is the center of a tug-a-war between Ganymede, Europa, and Jupiter • The effect is intense tidal volcanic activity • Surface temperature is low (-143 C) • Has a solid core surrounded by a rocky shell of silicate? Composition

  45. Europa • Europa consist of a metallic core, a silicate rock layer, and water. • The outer ice shell of Europa is crisscrossed by dark bands. • Beneath the ice shell there is potentially large oceans. • Water exist because of tidal heating.

  46. Saturn • 6th planet from the sun (1427 million km) • Radius: 60,000 km • Mass: 569 x 1024 kg • Gravity: 1.17 • Orbit: 10,579 days • Rotation: 10 hrs 14 min

  47. Saturn Composition • Saturn’s interior is similar to Jupiter’s. • Rocky core, metallic hydrogen, hydrogen, helium, trace elements • Density less than that of water • Also possesses cloud cover • Clouds trapped in bands of latitude that rotate at variable speeds • Fastest at the equator

  48. Ring System of Saturn

  49. Ring System of Saturn • Most interesting feature • Very thin (1.5 km thick) despite large diameter (250,000 km) • Composition is largely ice and rocky particles coated with ice • Broken into different regions • Origin unknown but must have some mechanism to replinish • Resonance of moons

  50. Moons of Saturn • 18 to date • All have densities less than 2 gm/cm3 • 30 – 40% rock • 60 – 70% ice • Most interact with one another to produce stable and synchronous orbits • Titan is by far the largest with a radius of 2575 km • Once believed to be bigger but enormous atmosphere threw off calculations

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