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Outer Planets

Outer Planets. Astronomy Chapter 2.4 Pages 70-77. Outer Planets. The gas giants Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune. Outer Planets. Structure: Do not have solid surfaces Huge spheres of gas , no well-defined surface All have rings . Outer Planets. Structure:

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Outer Planets

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  1. Outer Planets Astronomy Chapter 2.4 Pages 70-77

  2. Outer Planets • The gas giants • Jupiter • Saturn • Uranus • Neptune

  3. Outer Planets • Structure: • Do not have solid surfaces • Huge spheres of gas, no well-defined surface • All have rings.

  4. Outer Planets • Structure: • Large masses = large gravitational pulls • Gravitational pull keeps gases from escaping • Thick Atmosphere’s contain mostly hydrogen and helium

  5. Outer Planets • Solid Core • Each gas giant has a partly solid core • These cores have much more mass than Earth. • Not much is known because they are buried deep in the planets.

  6. Jupiter • The most massive planet. (300 times more massive than Earth.) • Thick atmosphere, colorful bands of gases • The Great Red Spot – giant area of swirling clouds (many times bigger than Earth)

  7. Jupiter • 4 of Jupiter’s moons – Galilean moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto) discovered by Galileo • Scientists have found 62 moons so far.

  8. Jupiter • Io – active volcanoes • Europa – icy crust, may have liquid water under it

  9. Jupiter • Ganymede – largest moon, twice the mass of Earth, icy, cratered surface with huge grooves • Callisto – icy surface, no part of surface is free of craters

  10. Saturn • Second largest planet • Thick atmosphere • Atmosphere also contains clouds and storms.

  11. Saturn • Less dense than water. Would float in huge body of water. • Known for its hundreds of beautiful rings. • Rings made of ice and rock.

  12. Saturn • Titan is the largest moon. • Titan has such a thick atmosphere light can not pass through it. • Scientists have found 61 moons so far.

  13. Uranus • Twice as far from the sun as Saturn. • Looks blue because of methane in atmosphere. • Axis is tilted on its side at a 90° angle.

  14. Uranus • Rings go around the North and South poles. • Moons show volcanic eruptions and crater hits. • Scientists have found 27 moons so far.

  15. Neptune • 30 times farther from the sun than Earth. • Atmosphere contains clouds, surface is not as smooth as Uranus.

  16. Neptune • Discovered as a result of a mathematical prediction • Great Dark Spot lasted 5 years • Scientists have found 13 moons so far.

  17. Pluto Based on the characteristics of both inner and outer planets, should Pluto be a planet? Why or why not?

  18. Pluto • Pluto has one moon, Charon • Charon is ½ the size of Pluto • Pluto is 1/3 the size of Earth’s moon • Classified as a “dwarf planet” • Pluto is the largest of many rocky, ice objects revolving around the sun beyond Neptune’s orbit.

  19. What to Work On • Complete Inner and Outer Planet packets

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