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The Solar System. Spectra of Science Amole 2013. Early Thought and Models. Aristotle (384 BC -322 BC)- explained the phases of the moon and eclipses by using a geocentric model Ptolemy ( 90 A.D -168 A.D .)- suggests planets, sun, and moon orbited Earth in perfect circles.
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The Solar System Spectra of Science Amole 2013
Early Thought and Models • Aristotle (384 BC -322 BC)- explained the phases of the moon and eclipses by using a geocentric model • Ptolemy (90 A.D -168 A.D.)- suggests planets, sun, and moon orbited Earth in perfect circles
Early Thought and Models • Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543)- proposed the heliocentric model • Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)- propsed that the orbits around the sun were ellipses
What is an Ellipse? • An oval or egg-like shape created from the result of two foci
Early Thought and Models • In 1687, Isaac Newton put it all together explaining that the force responsible for keeping the planets and satellites (moons) in their orbits was…GRAVITY • First to propose that everything in the universe follows the same rules and acts in predictable ways
Bodies in our Solar System:The Sun • At the center • It’s a medium sized star in the middle of its life cycle • Constantly creating energy from nuclear fusion
Bodies in our Solar System:Planets • Terrestrial Planets: • Small • Dense • Solid surfaces and cores • Gas Giants (Jovian): • Large • No solid surface • Very light
OMG! • Saturn is the least dense of the planets. It is actually less dense than water. That means, if you could find a tub big enough….it would float!
OMG! • We really are so small! • http://ls.xenia.k12.oh.us/SafeVideos/Video.aspx?id=z6yHKE9dg0g
Bodies in our Solar System:Comets • Composed of dust and ice (dirty snowballs) • When it passes near the sun, the heat begins to melt the ice and it gives off gases forming the long tail • Tail always point away from the sun
Bodies in our Solar System:Comets • Most likely left-over material from when the solar systems formed • Come from the Oort Cloud and Kuiper belt
OMG! • Halley’s comet is perhaps the most popular comet. It passes by every 76 years. Its last pass occurred in 1986, so expect to see it again in 2061! • Miss Amole will be 76 next time it is here!
Bodies in our Solar System:Asteroids • Most found in the Asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter • Meteoroids small pieces that reach our atmosphere • Meteors-meteoroids that burn up in atmosphere • Meteorites- make it to Earth
OMG! • Many scientists believe that it was a 10-15 km asteroid or comet that hit the Earth 65 million years ago that is responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs
OMG! • The best preserved meteorite crater is located in Arizona. It is over a mile wide, 2.4 miles in circumference, and over 550 feet deep!
Bodies in our Solar System:Planetesimals • Pieces of rocks that accumulated to form planets • Left over planetesimals are in the Kuiper belt beyond the orbit of Neptune • Pluto may actually just be the largest object in this belt
Bodies in our Solar System:Dwarf Planets • Unlike planets, dwarf planets lack the gravitational muscle to sweep up or scatter objects near their orbits • They orbit the sun in zones of similar objects such as the asteroid and Kuiper belts. • Pluto, Eris and the asteroid Ceres became the first
OMG! • Pluto was still a planet when Miss Amole sat in your seat. • Pluto was added as a planet in 1930 • In 2005 Eris, about the same size as Pluto, was found in the Kuiper belt • In 2006 the new system of classification…
How it all Began… The Formation of the Solar System
Nebular Theory • According to the dating of rocks, the solar system is 4.6 billion years old • Most scientist accept the Nebular Theory, or Nebular Model, as the best supported explanation • It explains why… • Planets are so far apart • In the same plane • orbit in the same direction • They have nearly circular orbits • Why some are terrestrial and some gaseous
Nebular Theory: Step 1 • Started as a nebula- huge cloud or gas and dust • It begins to collapse because of its own gravity • Gravity drew much of the matter towards the center
Nebular Theory: Step 2 • The nebula began to flatten out into a disk and rotate • Getting hotter and hotter towards the center • After 10 million years, the star becomes hot enough to fuse Hydrogen • A star, our sun, is born
Nebular Theory: Step 3 • Planetesimals began to form in the swirling disk through accretion • Accretion = accumulation of matter
Nebular Theory: Step 4 • The largest planetesimals began to collect the dust and gas from the nebula because they had greater gravitational pulls • Remember that gravity depends on mass and distance
Nebular Theory: Step 5 • Smaller planetesimals collide with the large ones and the planets grow
Nebular Theory: Step 6 • The remaining dust and gas is removed or settles into the Asteroid and Kuiper belts and Oort Cloud • A solar system is born
What about the Moon? The Formation of the Moon
Impact • When Earth was still very hot and molten, a large body crashed into it and blasted part of the mantle into space
Ejection • The resulting debris began to orbit Earth being held by Earth’s gravity
Formation • The debris began to accumulate to form the moon
OMG! • Formation of Earth and Moon • http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&v=M4pt0fFn_a4&NR=1 • Formation of Solar System • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhy1fucSRQI • Formation of Solar System (dramatic) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz8ithgTBj4