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The Solar System

A basic tour of the Solar System in which we live. Touring the Solar System

• The • The Planets and Their • Other Objects The Sun

• The center of our Solar System • Energy from the Sun is the basis for all energy in the system • Most massive part • Its gravity holds system together • An average star Sun Data • Diameter – 862,000 miles – 1,391,000 kms • Mass – 333,000 times • Revolution Rate – 2.5 billion • Rotation Rate – 24 d 16 h • Surface Gravity – 28 times Earth Sun Data

• Temperature – 5,800 K – 10,440 F • Composition – by mass • 73 % hydrogen • 25 % helium • 2 % oxygen, carbon, neon, iron • We are made from star stuff! Solar Furnace • Hydrogen is the simplest matter in the universe. • Two atoms are fused together to form helium. • Releases energy in tremendous amounts. • Other elements created as fusion continues. Sun Spots • Sun Spot Cycle – 11 cycle – disrupt some electronics • What are they? – Cooler areas of the surface – appear dark due to surrounding high temperatures – would shine if alone in space

• Solar eclipse occurs when passes between the Earth and the Sun • The Moon’s shadow falls on the Earth’s surface. Solar Eclipse

• Full solar eclipse lasts about 7 and half minutes. • Next eclipse in North America – August 21, 2017 Solar Eclipse Images

Sun’s corona visible. Diamond Ring Other Solar Phenomena

• – An arch of flame above surface • Solar Flare – Explosive emission of energy – equals a million atomic bombs • Solar Wind – stream of particles from the Sun The Planets and Their Moons

• Planet nearest the Sun – 1st • Rapid Revolution Rate – quickest around the Sun • Name – Roman god of speed – due to its rapid revolution Mercury Data

• Revolution Rate – 88 E.D. (Earth Days) • Rotation Rate – 59 E.D. • Distance from Sun – 0.39 A.U. • Diameter – 3,024 miles • Inclination – ?, think it is 0 degrees Mercury Data

• Mass (compared to Earth) – 0.06 • Density – 5.4 • Surface Gravity – 0.38 • Escape Velocity – 2.7 m/s • Moons - none Mercury Facts

• No atmosphere • Lots of impact craters – resembles the Moon • Second smallest planet • Temperature extremes – 1,260 F daylight – 180 F nightside Mercury in . Mercury or Moon: Which one is which below?

• Second in order from the Sun – 2nd orbit • Earth’s twin? – size and other features • Name – Roman goddess of love – most features of planet have feminine names Venus Data

• Revolution Rate – 224 E.D. • Rotation Rate – 243 E.D. • Distance from Sun – 0.72 A.U. • Diameter – 7,503 miles • Inclination – 177 degrees Venus Data

• Mass – 0.82 • Density – 5.3 • Surface Gravity – 0.91 • Escape Velocity – 6.5 m/s • Moons - none Venus Facts • Dense atmosphere – Carbon Dioxide – Greenhouse Effect – Pressure 90 times Earth’s – Sulfuric Acid rain • Temperature – 1,314 F on surface • Geology Sif Mons Volcano – active volcanoes – produces atmosphere Venus Flyby Animation Earth and the Moon Earth

• Third in order from the Sun – 3rd orbit • Life – only known place where life exists • Name – prehistoric origin Earth Data

• Revolution Rate • Distance from the Sun – 365¼ days – 1.00 Astronomical – 1 year Unit • Rotation Rate – 1.00 A.U. = 93,000,000 miles – 23.9 hours – 1 day • Diameter – 7,908 miles • Inclination – 23½ degrees

Earth Data

• Mass – 1.00 (all other bodies compared to Earth) • Density – 5.5 • Surface Gravity – 1.00 (see mass) • Escape Velocity – 6.9 m/s • Moons - 1 Earth Facts

• Only place we know that has life • Water planet – about 70 % of surface covered with water • Atmosphere – 75 % nitrogen – 23 % oxygen – remaining 2 % a mix of gases The Moon

• Earth’s nearest neighbor – 237,240 miles • Only other place visited by humans • Affects Earth’s Systems – tides in oceans Moon Data • Revolution Rate – 29½ days • Rotation Rate – 29½ days • Distance from the Sun – nearly same as Earth’s • Diameter – 2,155 miles • Inclination – 5 degrees

Moon Data

• Mass – 0.01 • Density – 3.3 • Surface Gravity – 1/6 or 0.16 • Escape Velocity – 1.5 m/s Moon Creation • Current theory suggests that our Moon was formed when an object about the size of struck the Earth early in its existence. • Material from this impact coalesced into the Moon over millions of years. Moon Facts

• Only other place visited by humans – Apollo Space Program • No atmosphere • Same side faces Earth – Rotation and Revolution Same • Phases of Moon – Due to place in orbit compared to Earth and Buzz Aldrin step down Sun

Apollo Moon Program

Jack Scmitt near large boulder on Moon. July 20, 1969

Interesting Notes

• Lunacy, Lunatic – these words are derived from Luna, the Latin word for Moon – believed the Moon affected human mind • Historically – eclipses foretold bad events – basis for calendars • Literature – werewolves,

Mars

• Fourth planet from the Sun – 4th orbit • “Sister” planet – may have once had water • Name – Roman god of war – color in telescope Mars Data

• Revolution Rate – 686 E.D. • Rotation Rate – 24½ hours • Distance from the Sun – 1.5 A.U. • Diameter – 4,210 miles • Inclination – 25 degrees Mars Data

• Mass – 0.11 • Density – 3.9 • Surface Gravity – 0.38 • Escape Velocity – 3.1 m/s • Moons - 2 Mars Facts • Red color when viewed – iron oxides in soil – “rust” • Atmosphere is thin – 95 % carbon dioxide • May have had liquid water in past – lost into space • Polar caps – water ice More Mars Facts • Two moons • Names – - demigod of terror, panic – - demigod of Deimos fear, flight • One is slowly falling Phobos to the planet – in next couple of centuries, Mars will only have one Olympus Mons

• Largest known volcano in the solar system • Outer edge would enclose Kentucky • No longer active • Named after the home of the gods Valles Marineris

• Name – Latin for “Valley of the Mariners” • Series of canyons – Makes Grand Canyon of Earth seem like a ditch • Traverses a ¼ of the way around the planet • Creation – Volcanic activity Life on Mars Martians?

• Face on Mars • Discovered by Pathfinder Mission Satellite • Trick of light • Tabloids ran photo as evidence of extra- terrestrials Martians? • Martian Canals – Giovanni Schiparelli – “canale” • War of the Worlds scare – radio show based on book by H.G. Wells – caused panic on eastern seaboard of U.S.

Life on Mars • It is possible life may have existed on Mars in the past – simple organisms that died out once water was gone • More than likely it is there today – transported there from Earth on our robot probes

Jupiter

• Largest planet in system • Fifth planet from Sun – 5th orbit out • Almost big enough to be a star • Name – Roman name for the king of the gods – due to its size Data • Revolution Rate – 11.9 E.Y. (Earth Years) • Rotation Rate – 9.9 hours • Distance from the Sun – 5.2 A.U. • Diameter – 88,536 miles • Inclination – 3.1 degrees Jupiter Data

• Mass – 318 • Density – 1.3 • Surface Gravity – 2.5 • Escape Velocity – 37.2 m/s • Moons - 16 Jupiter Facts • Atmosphere – Mainly hydrogen with some helium – Clouds are separated into bands – Rapidly move around • Red Spot – Storm in atmosphere • Large family of moons – some are stable – most are captured asteroids Jupiter Facts

• Faint thin ring system • Backyard telescope – see two dark bands on 100 magnification • Strong gravity – disturbs the asteroids and other nearby objects • Galileo – discovered the 4 main moons

• Named after Galileo – – Europa – Ganymede – Callisto • Visiblity – would be visible at night if Jupiter gone – can be seen with binoculars • Unique features Ganymede

• Largest moon in solar system – diameter of 3,267 miles – bigger than Mercury and – would be a planet if orbited the Sun • Impact craters Callisto

• 3rd largest moon in solar system – diameter of 2,988 miles – slightly smaller than Mercury, still dwarfs Pluto • Impact craters Europa

• Icy moon – rocky moon that is covered with water ice – believed to have oceans that are frozen – surface cracked • Life? – If there is water, could there be life? Io

• Volcanic activity – discovered that this moon was volcanically active – thought moons were dead bodies that were not very interesting or worth studying – has an atmosphere produced by volcanoes Io Volcano

• Sixth planet from Sun – 6th orbit • Second largest planet • Impressive rings – discovered by Galileo when he got tired of looking at Jupiter • Name – Roman god of agriculture – Why named?

Saturn Data

• Revolution Rate – 29.5 E.Y. • Rotation Rate – 10.7 hours • Distance from the Sun – 9.5 A.U. • Diameter (minus rings) – 74,735 miles • Inclination – 26.7 degrees Saturn Data

• Mass – 95 • Density – 0.7 • Surface Gravity – 1.07 • Escape Velocity – 22.3 m/s • Moons - 19 Saturn Facts • Complex ring system – tiny rock and ice particles – discovered by Galileo – thought the rings resembled handles on cup – people began to believe he was crazy • Atmosphere – hydrogen and helium – lines of clouds Saturn’s Rings • Formation – current theory suggests moons destroyed by impacts or gravity • Complexity – moons mixed in with ring particles – forms divisions seen in rings • Cycle – rings “disappear” every 11 years

Saturn’s Rings

• View to right is what you can see through a telescope at a magnification of 100 power • Yellowish tint • Rings tilted so viewable now Saturn’s Noteworthy Moons

• – second largest moon in solar system – diameter of 3,193 miles – bigger than Pluto and Mercury – moon because it circles Saturn Mimas

• Huge impact crater – barely below the size needed to destroy the moon • Death Star – was the inspiration for the Death Star in the Star Wars movies

• Seventh planet from the Sun – 7th orbit • Faint ring system • Inclination is weird • Name – Greek god who personified heaven – father of the titans Uranus Data

• Revolution Rate – 84.1 E.Y. • Rotation Rate – 17.2 hours • Distance from the Sun – 19.2 A.U. • Diameter – 31,744 miles • Inclination – 98 degrees Uranus Data

• Mass – 14 • Density – 1.2 • Surface Gravity – 0.92 • Escape Velocity – 13 m/s • Moons - 15 Uranus Facts

• Thin Rings – Rings are tilted like planet • Inclination – May have been struck by asteroid or another object • Atmosphere – hydrogen – very stable

• One of smallest moons of Uranus • Surface has patches of water ice • Half is cratered like the Moon • Other half is heavily ridged for some reason Miranda

• Believed that Miranda may have been destroyed by asteroid impact in the past. • But it reformed slowly over time like our Moon.

• Eighth planet from the Sun – 8th orbit most of the time • Surprisingly active atmosphere • Name – Roman god of water Neptune Data

• Revolution Rate – 164.8 E.Y. • Rotation Rate – 16.1 hours • Distance from the Sun – 30.1 A.U. • Diameter – 30,690 miles • Inclination – 29 degrees Neptune Data

• Mass – 17.2 • Density – 1.6 • Surface Gravity – 1.18 • Escape Velocity – 14.9 m/s • Moons - 8 Neptune Facts

• Active atmosphere – had a giant storm like Jupiter – storm has disappeared recently – thought it would be similar to Uranus • Rings – very thin – similar to Uranus’ ring system Triton

• Voyager 2 – 75 % rock – 25 % water ice – discovered active volcanoes – has a thin atmosphere – has polar ice caps – mix of frozen water and ammonia Pluto

Name - Roman god of the underworld

No longer a planet. Pluto Data • Revolution Rate – 248.6 E.Y. • Rotation Rate – 6.4 days • Distance from the Sun – 40 A.U. • Diameter – 1,364 miles • Inclination – 118 degrees Pluto Data • Mass – 0.0025 • Density – 2.1 • Surface Gravity – 0.09 • Escape Velocity – 0.62 m/s • Moons – 3 – – – Pluto Facts

• Orbit – at times it is inside the orbit of Neptune – outside orbit since 1999 – suggests it may have been a moon of Neptune • Charon – discovered in 1978 – not much smaller than Pluto Other Objects Asteroids

• Location – most fall in orbit between Mars and Jupiter • Size Restrictions – less than 1,000 km diameter

• Composition Gaspra – mostly rock Asteroid Facts

• Pairs – most are paired with a smaller companion • Produce meteoroids – due to collisions – produce most meteors • Some cross Earth orbit – represent a danger Ida and Dactyl • Jupiter’s Gravity – causes them to develop highly elliptical Asteroid Facts

• Ceres – first discovered – largest discovered – 1/4 size of our Moon • Total Number – estimated to be 100,000 that are bigger than 1 kilometer – 75 % in main belt

Comets

• Orbits – highly elliptical – pass beyond the orbit of Pluto – regular returns (mostly) • Make-up – basically a dirty snowball Comet Halley

• Most Famous • Returns every 76 years – last closest approach was 1986 • Historical references – images have been found in reference to it in ancient texts, drawings, and stoneware Comet Halley is now proper name.

• Many probes sent – European probe got best view – picture of its rock/ icy core – solar wind from Sun strikes comet nucleus (called coma) and produces tail Comet Orbit

• Highly elliptical orbit – may come from matter found on edge of our solar system • Tail points away from Sun – due to solar wind Comet Hale-Bopp

• Last comet best visible in northern hemisphere • showed two tails – dust tail – ion tail System Formation • Current theory suggests that gravity lead to the formation of our Solar System as well as others. • Formed when hydrogen atoms in nebula began to compact at one spot due to gravitational attraction. System Formation

• The vast majority of matter was tied up in the Sun. – About 5 billion years ago. • The planets formed afterwards from material left over. – About 4.5 billion years ago. – Jupiter got the biggest portion of what was left behind. The End?

• About 5 billion years from now, the hydrogen in the Sun will run out. • Fusion will stop, resulting in an initial collapse of the Sun. • Will then explode in a supernova. The End?

• Will probably form a red giant. • Could have become a black hole, but not massive enough. • Too large to become a brown dwarf. • Will basically wipe out our solar system.