Jupiter and SaturnSlide Number 2Slide Number 3Guiding QuestionsJupiter and Saturn are the most massive planets in the solar systemUnlike the terrestrial planets, Jupiter and Saturn exhibit differential rotationAtmospheresSpacecraft images show remarkable activity in the clouds of Jupiter and SaturnStormsStorms in Saturn’s atmosphere seem to be shorter-lived The internal heat of Jupiter and Saturn has a major effect on the planets’ atmospheres – where does this energy come from?Jupiter and Saturn’s AtmospheresSlide Number 13The oblateness of Jupiter and Saturn reveals their rocky coresMetallic hydrogen inside Jupiter and Saturn endows the planets with strong magnetic fieldsJupiter and Saturn have extensive magnetospheresSynchrotron RadiationEarth-based observations reveal three major broad rings encircling SaturnSlide Number 19Saturn’s rings are composed of numerous icy fragments, while Jupiter’s rings are made of small rocky particlesSlide Number 21Slide Number 22Slide Number 23Saturn’s inner satellites affect the appearance and structure of its ringsSlide Number 25Slide Number 26Jupiter and Saturn’s MoonsGuiding QuestionsJupiter’s Galilean satellites are easily seen with Earth-based telescopesSlide Number 30Slide Number 31The Galilean satellites formed like a solar system in miniatureThe Galilean satellites probably formed in a similar fashion to our solar system but on a smaller scale Io is covered with colorful sulfur compounds ejected from active volcanoesSlide Number 35Tidal HeatingSlide Number 37Slide Number 38Jupiter’s magnetic field makes electric currents flow through IoSlide Number 40Slide Number 41Europa is covered with a smooth layer of ice that may cover a worldwide oceanOther indications are a worldwide network of long cracks and ice rafts that indicate a subsurface layer of liquid water or soft iceSlide Number 44Slide Number 45Liquid water may also lie beneath the cratered surfaces of Ganymede and CallistoGanymedeSlide Number 48Slide Number 49Titan has a thick, opaque atmosphere rich in methane, nitrogen, and hydrocarbonsSlide Number 51Jupiter has dozens of small satellites that have different originsThe icy surfaces of Saturn’s six moderate-sized moons provide clues to their historiesSlide Number 54Uranus, Neptune and PlutoSlide Number 56Slide Number 57Slide Number 58Guiding QuestionsUranus was discovered by chance, but Neptune’s existence was predicted by applying Newtonian mechanics Uranus is nearly featureless and has an unusually tilted axis of rotationExaggerated Seasons On UranusSlide Number 63Neptune is a cold, bluish world with Jupiterlike atmospheric featuresNeptune’s CloudsSlide Number 66Uranus and Neptune contain a higher proportion of heavy elements than Jupiter and SaturnThe magnetic fields of both Uranus and Neptune are oriented at unusual anglesUranus and Neptune each have a system of thin, dark ringsSlide Number 70Some of Uranus’s satellites show evidence of past tidal heatingSlide Number 72Triton is a frigid, icy world with a young surface and a tenuous atmospherePluto and its moon, Charon, may be typical of a thousand icy objects that orbit far from the Sun Slide Number 75Slide Number 761Jupiter and Saturn234Guiding Questions1. Why is the best month to see Jupiter different from one year to the next?2. Why are there important differences between the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn?3. What is going on in Jupiter’s Great Red Spot?4. What is the nature of the multicolored clouds of Jupiter and Saturn?5. What does the chemical composition of Jupiter’s atmosphere imply about the planet’s origin?6. How do astronomers know about the deep interiors of Jupiter and Saturn?7. How do Jupiter and Saturn generate their intense magnetic fields?8. Why would it be dangerous for humans to visit certain parts of the space around Jupiter?9. How was it discovered that Saturn has rings?10.Are Saturn’s rings actually solid bands that encircle the planet?11. How uniform and smooth are Saturn’s rings?12.How do Saturn’s satellites affect the character of its rings?5Jupiter and Saturn are the most massive planets in the solar system• Jupiter and Saturn are both much larger than Earth• Each is composed of 71% hydrogen, 24% helium, and 5% all other elements by mass• Both planets have a higher percentage of heavy elements than does the Sun• Jupiter and Saturn both rotate so rapidly that the planets are noticeably flattened6Unlike the terrestrial planets, Jupiter and Saturn exhibit differential rotation7Atmospheres• The visible “surfaces” of Jupiter and Saturn are actually the tops of their clouds• The rapid rotation of the planets twists the clouds into dark belts and light zones that run parallel to the equator• The outer layers of both planets’ atmospheres show differential rotation– The equatorial regions rotate slightly faster than the polar regions• For both Jupiter and Saturn, the polar rotation rate is nearly the same as the internal rotation rate8Spacecraft images show remarkable activity in the clouds of Jupiter and Saturn9Storms• Both Jupiter and Saturn emit more energy than they receive from the Sun• Presumably both planets are still cooling • The colored ovals visible in the Jovian atmosphere represent gigantic storms• Some, such as the Great Red Spot, are quite stable and persist for many years10Storms in Saturn’s atmosphere seem to be shorter-lived11The internal heat of Jupiter and Saturn has a major effect on the planets’ atmospheres – where does this energy come from?12Jupiter and Saturn’s Atmospheres• There are presumed to be three cloud layers in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn• The reasons for the distinctive colors of these different layers are not yet known• The cloud layers in Saturn’s atmosphere are spread out over a greater range of altitude than those of Jupiter, giving Saturn a more washed-out appearance• Saturn’s atmosphere contains less helium than Jupiter’s atmosphere• This lower abundance may be the result of helium raining downward into the planet• Helium “rainfall” may also account for Saturn’s surprisingly strong heat output1314The oblateness of Jupiter and Saturn reveals their rocky cores• Jupiter probably has a rocky core several times more massive than the Earth• The core is surrounded by a layer of liquid “ices” (water, ammonia, methane, and associated compounds)• On top of this is a layer of helium and liquid