OSWAGO AST 311 - Chapter 7 Our Planetary System

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Chapter 7 Our Planetary System7.1 Studying the Solar SystemWhat does the solar system look like?Slide 4Slide 5Thought Question How does the Earth-Sun distance compare with the Sun’s radiusSlide 7What can we learn by comparing the planets to one another?Comparative PlanetologySlide 10What are the major features of the Sun and planets?Planets are very tiny compared to distances between them.SunMercuryVenusEarthMarsJupiterSlide 19SaturnSlide 21Slide 22UranusNeptunePlutoSlide 26Thought Question What process created the elements from which the terrestrial planets were made?Slide 28What have we learned?Slide 307.2 Patterns in the Solar SystemWhat features of the solar system provide clues to how it formed?Motion of Large BodiesTwo Main Planet TypesSwarms of Smaller BodiesNotable ExceptionsSpecial Topic: How did we learn the scale of the solar system?Transit of VenusMeasuring Distance to VenusSlide 407.3 Spacecraft Exploration of the Solar SystemHow do robotic spacecraft work?FlybysOrbitersProbes or LandersSample Return MissionsCombination SpacecraftSlide 48Chapter 7Our Planetary SystemEarth, as viewed by the Voyager spacecraft7.1 Studying the Solar System•Our goals for learning•What does the solar system look like?•What can we learn by comparing the planets to one another?•What are the major features of the Sun and planets?What does the solar system look like?•Eight major planets with nearly circular orbits•Pluto is smaller than the major planets and has a more elliptical orbit•Planets all orbit in same direction and nearly in same planeThought QuestionHow does the Earth-Sun distance compare with the Sun’s radiusa) It’s about 10 times larger.b) It’s about 50 times larger.c) It’s about 200 times larger.d) It’s about 1000 times larger.Thought QuestionHow does the Earth-Sun distance compare with the Sun’s radiusa) It’s about 10 times larger.b) It’s about 50 times larger.c) It’s about 200 times larger.d) It’s about 1000 times larger.What can we learn by comparing the planets to one another?Comparative Planetology•We can learn more about a world like our Earth by studying in context with other worlds in the solar system.•Stay focused on processes common to multiple worlds instead of individual facts specific to a particular world.•Comparing the planets reveals patterns among them•Those patterns provide insights that help us understand our own planetWhat are the major features of the Sun and planets?Sun and planets to scalePlanets are very tiny compared to distances between them.• Over 99.9% of solar system’s mass• Made mostly of H/He gas (plasma)• Converts 4 million tons of mass into energy each secondSun• Made of metal and rock; large iron core • Desolate, cratered; long, tall, steep cliffs• Very hot and very cold: 425°C (day), –170°C (night)Mercury• Nearly identical in size to Earth; surface hidden by clouds • Hellish conditions due to an extreme greenhouse effect:• Even hotter than Mercury: 470°C, day and nightVenus• An oasis of life• The only surface liquid water in the solar system• A surprisingly large moonEarth and Moon to scaleEarth• Looks almost Earth-like, but don’t go without a spacesuit!• Giant volcanoes, a huge canyon, polar caps, more…• Water flowed in the distant past; could there have been life?Mars•Much farther from Sun than inner planets•Mostly H/He; no solid surface•300 times more massive than Earth•Many moons, rings …JupiterJupiter’s moons can be as interesting as planets themselves, especially Jupiter’s four Galilean moons• Io (shown here): Active volcanoes all over• Europa: Possible subsurface ocean• Ganymede: Largest moon in solar system• Callisto: A large, cratered “ice ball”Saturn•Giant and gaseous like Jupiter•Spectacular rings•Many moons, including cloudy Titan•Cassini spacecraft currently studying itRings are NOT solid; they are made of countless small chunks of ice and rock, each orbiting like a tiny moon. Artist’s conceptionCassini probe arrived July 2004(Launched in 1997)•Smaller than Jupiter/Saturn; much larger than Earth•Made of H/He gas & hydrogen compounds (H2O, NH3, CH4) •Extreme axis tilt•Moons & ringsUranus•Similar to Uranus (except for axis tilt)•Many moons (including Triton)NeptunePluto•Much smaller than other planets•Icy, comet-like composition•Its moon Charon is similar in sizeThought QuestionWhat process created the elements from which the terrestrial planets were made?a) The Big Bangb) Nuclear fusion in starsc) Chemical processes in interstellar cloudsd) Their origin is unknownThought QuestionWhat process created the elements from which the terrestrial planets were made?a) The Big Bangb) Nuclear fusion in starsc) Chemical processes in interstellar cloudsd) Their origin is unknownWhat have we learned?•What does the solar system look like?–Planets orbit Sun in the same direction and in nearly the same plane.•What can we learn by comparing the planets to one another?–Comparative planetology looks for patterns among the planets. –Those patterns give us insight into the general processes that govern planets–Studying other worlds in this way tells us about our own EarthWhat have we learned?•What are the major features of the Sun and planets?–Sun: Over 99.9% of the mass–Mercury: A hot rock–Venus: Same size as Earth but much hotter–Earth: Only planet with liquid water on surface–Mars: Could have had liquid water in past–Jupiter: A gaseous giant–Saturn: Gaseous with spectacular rings–Uranus: A gas giant with a highly tilted axis–Neptune: Similar to Uranus but with normal axis–Pluto: An icy “misfit” more like a comet than a planet7.2 Patterns in the Solar System•Our goals for learning•What features of the solar system provide clues to how it formed?What features of the solar system provide clues to how it formed?Motion of Large Bodies•All large bodies in the solar system orbit in the same direction and in nearly the same plane•Most also rotate in that directionTwo Main Planet Types•Terrestrial planets are rocky, relatively small, and close to the Sun•Jovian planets are gaseous, larger, and farther from SunSwarms of Smaller Bodies•Many rocky asteroids and icy comets populate the solar systemNotable Exceptions•Several exceptions to the normal patterns need to be explainedSpecial Topic: How did we learn the scale of the solar system?Transit of Venus•Apparent


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