Our Solar SystemAn introduction to our planets

The Sun At the Center (and we do go

around it …..)

99.85% mass of Solar System

92% H / 8% He

Source of solar wind and space weather

Image:http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03149

Inner Planets “Terrestrial Planets” Rocky Dense Metal cores (iron)

Images: Lunar and Planetary Laboratory: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=178

Asteroids

Image: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=2093

“Minor planets” or “planetoids” less than 1000 km across

Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter

Occasionally run into Earth and other planets (oops)

Ida

Outer Planets

Large!

Gases and liquids

No solid surface

May have a small solid core

Tumultuous atmospheres - rapid winds, large storms

Rotate relatively quickly

Image: Lunar and Planetary Laboratory: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=178

Kuiper Belt

Disk of debris at the edge of our Solar System

Pluto is a KB Object (sorry!)

Source of short-period comets

MERCURY

Closest planet to the Sun, but not the hottest due to lack of an atmosphere

Smallest planet in the Solar System

Surface covered in craters, just like Earth's Moon; solid iron core(3/4) surrounded by liquid iron and silicate mantle

Temperature (up to 350°c on its sunlit side and -170°c on its dark side)

One year lasts for only 88 Earth days

One day takes 59 Earth days

VENUS

For years, Venus was called Earth's Sister Planet or Twin

Named after the ancient Roman god of love

Very heavy atmosphere (97% CO2, sulfuric acid clouds)

896OF….that’s HOT!

EARTH

Three layers: core, mantle, crust

Atmosphere has five layers, which together serve to block harmful rays and insulate/regulate temperature

Only planet that we know of that is capable of sustaining life

MARS

About half the size of Earth, but is most Earth-like

Thin atmosphere is being blown away by Sun’s wind

Is reddish in color due to the iron oxide - commonly known as rust - that is in the soil.

Could possibly be made habitable by man

Asteroid Belt Asteroids are left over materials from the formation of

the Solar System.  These materials were never incorporated into a planet because of their proximity to Jupiter's strong gravity.

JUPITER

✶ Largest planet (1320 Earths)

✶ Great Red Spot (immense storm)

✶ Most moons of all planets (63)

✶ Named after Roman god of lightning (king of the gods)

∗ Gas giant (huge atmosphere)

∗ Liquid rock core, liquid mantle, liquid

nitrogen, hydrogen and helium gases

SATURN

Gas planet (least dense planet)

Structure is very similar to Jupiter

Atmosphere is also mostly hydrogen and helium

Great white spot(?)

Magnificent rings likely caused by a collision between two of its satellites

URANUS

Gas giant

Liquid rock core surrounded by an “ocean” of hydrogen, helium, and water, with small amounts of ammonia and methane

Bland, almost featureless atmosphere made of hydrogen, helium, methane and ammonia

Only planet that rotates on its side!

Named after Greek god of the heavens

Neptune

“Twin” of Uranus, except that its atmosphere has much more detail

Unique Great Dark Spot (not much known)

Named after the ancient Roman god of the sea

Relationship between distance and speedMercur

yVenus

Earth Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Mean distance from the sun(106km)

57.9 108 150 228 778 1,430 2,870 4,500

Period of revolution (years) 0.241 0.615 1.00 1.88 11.9 29.5 84.0 165

Orbital speed (km/s) 47.9 35.0 29.8 24.1 13.1 9.64 6.81 5.43

Relationship between distance and speedMercur

yVenus

Earth Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Mean distance from the sun(106km)

57.9 108 150 228 778 1,430 2,870 4,500

Period of revolution (years) 0.241 0.615 1.00 1.88 11.9 29.5 84.0 165

Orbital speed (km/sec)

47.9 35.0 29.8 24.1 13.1 9.64 6.81 5.43

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Solar System Overview

Image: Lunar and Planetary Laboratory: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=178

FYI … Distance Not To Scale …