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The Jovian Planets
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Animation 1
Animation 2
The Jovian Planets (“Gas Giants”)
Saturn
Jupiter
Uranus
Neptune
No well-defined surface!
Interior Structure
The Chemical Composition
of Jupiter and Saturn
Jupiter
Largest and most massive
planet in the solar system:
Contains almost ¾ of all planetary
matter in the solar system.
Most striking features visible from
Earth: Multi-colored cloud belts
Visual image
Infrared falsecolor image
Explored in detail by
several space probes:
Pioneer 10,
Pioneer 11,
Voyager 1,
Voyager 2,
Galileo
The Great Red Spot
Has been visible
for over 300 years
Giant storm system
similar to Hurricanes
on Earth: Wind
speeds of 430 km/h
(= 270 miles/h)
Changes appearance
gradually over time
8-year sequence of
images of the Great
Red Spot on Jupiter
Jupiter’s Rotation
Jupiter is the most
rapidly rotating planet
in the solar system:
Rotation period slightly
less than 10 hr.
Considering the rapid rotation of Jupiter,
would you expect it to be perfectly round?
1.
2.
3.
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Yes.
No, it should be oblate.
No, it should be prolate.
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Jupiter’s Rotation
Jupiter is the most
rapidly rotating planet
in the solar system:
Rotation period slightly
less than 10 hr.
Centrifugal forces
stretch Jupiter into a
markedly oblate shape.
Jupiter’s Atmosphere
Jupiter’s liquid hydrogen
ocean has no surface:
Gradual transition from
gaseous to liquid phases.
Only very thin atmosphere
above cloud layers;
transition to liquid hydrogen
zone ~ 1000 km below clouds.
Jupiter’s Atmosphere (II)
Three layers
of clouds:
1. Ammonia
(NH3)
crystals
2. Ammonia
hydrosulfide
(NH4SH)
3. Water
crystals
Would you think that the atmosphere of Jupiter
gets warmer towards lower altitudes because
of the greenhouse effect?
1.
Yes: The atmosphere contains many
greenhouse gases.
No, because of the dense cloud cover
that reflects most of the sunlight.
No, because there’s no surface to
absorb visible light and re-emit in
infrared.
Both 2. and 3. are correct.
2.
3.
4.
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Jupiter’s Atmosphere (II)
Three layers
of clouds:
1. Ammonia
(NH3)
crystals
2. Ammonia
hydrosulfide
(NH4SH)
3. Water
crystals
Heating mostly from
latent, internal heat
The Cloud Belts of Jupiter
Dark belts and bright zones.
Zones higher and cooler than belts;
high-pressure regions of rising gas.
The circulation patterns in the cloud
belts are physically similar to which
phenomenon on the sun?
1.
2.
3.
Sun spots.
Prominences.
Granulation (sub-photospheric
convection).
Solar wind.
Coronal Mass Ejections.
4.
5.
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The Cloud Belts on Jupiter (II)
Just like on Earth, high-and low-pressure zones
are bounded by high-pressure winds.
Jupiter’s Cloud belt structure has remained
unchanged since humans began mapping them.
Jupiter’s Magnetic Field
Magnetic field at least 10 times stronger than
Earth’s magnetic field.
Magnetosphere over 100 times larger
than Earth’s magnetosphere
Which factor might be the most important
for Jupiter’s strong magnetic field?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Its thick cloud belts.
A large liquid iron core.
A large solid iron core.
A large region of
metallic hydrogen.
Its rapid rotation.
5.
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Aurorae on Jupiter
Just like on Earth,
Jupiter’s
magnetosphere
produces aurorae
concentrated in
rings around the
magnetic poles.
~ 1000 times
more powerful
than aurorae on
Earth.
At the location of Jupiter, is the flux of
solar-wind particles (from the sun)
stronger or weaker than at Earth?
1.
2.
3.
Stronger.
About the same as on Earth.
Weaker.
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Aurorae on Jupiter
Just like on Earth,
Jupiter’s
magnetosphere
produces aurorae
concentrated in
rings around the
magnetic poles.
~ 1000 times
more powerful
than aurorae on
Earth.
Particles producing the
aurorae originate
mostly from moon Io
The History of Jupiter
• Formed from
cold gas in the
outer solar
nebula, where
ices were able to
condense.
• Rapid growth
• Soon able to
trap gas directly
through gravity
• Heavy materials
sink to the center
• In the interior,
hydrogen becomes
metallic (very good
electrical conductor)
• Rapid rotation
→ strong
magnetic field
• Rapid rotation
and large size
→ belt-zone
cloud pattern
• Dust from meteorite impacts onto
inner moons trapped to form ring
Jupiter’s Ring
Not only Saturn, but all four gas giants have rings.
Galileo spacecraft
image of Jupiter’s
ring, illuminated
from behind
Jupiter’s ring: dark
and reddish; only
discovered by
Voyager 1
spacecraft.
Composed of microscopic
particles of rocky material
Location: Inside Roche limit, where larger bodies (moons)
would be destroyed by tidal forces.
Who discovered the largest
moons of Jupiter?
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Ptolemy
Galilei
Copernicus
Kepler
Newton
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1)
2)
3)
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5)
Jupiter’s Moons
About 2 dozen moons known at this time, but
more are being discovered …
Largest and most prominent: 4 Galilean Moons
(already discovered by Galilei in 1610):
Ganymede
Io
Europa
Callisto
What happens to a soft rubber ball if
you keep squishing and releasing it?
1)
2)
3)
It will get gradually
colder.
It will get gradually
warmer.
None of the above.
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1)
2)
3)
Jupiter’s Influence on its Moons
Presence of Jupiter has at least two
effects on geology of its moons:
1. Tidal
effects:
possible
source of
heat for
interior of
Ganymede
2. Focusing of
meteoroids,
exposing
nearby
satellites to
more impacts
than those
further out.
Io: Bursting Energy
Most active of all Galilean moons; no impact craters visible at all.
Over 100 active
volcanoes!
Activity powered by
tidal interactions
with Jupiter.
Interior is mostly rock.
Interactions with Jupiter’s
Magnetosphere
Io’s volcanoes blow out sulfur-rich gases
→ tenuous atmosphere, but gases can not be retained by Io’s gravity
→ gases escape from Io and form an ion torus in Jupiter’s magnetosphere.
→ Aurorae on Jupiter are fueled by particles from Io
Europa: A Hidden Ocean
composition: mostly rock
and metal; icy surface.
Close to Jupiter → should be hit
by many meteoroid impacts; but
few craters visible.
→ Active surface; impact
craters rapidly erased.
The Surface of Europa
Cracked surface and high albedo (reflectivity)
provide further evidence for geological activity.
The Interior of Europa
Europa is too small to retain its internal heat →
Heating mostly from tidal interaction with Jupiter.
Europa has a liquid water ocean ~ 15 km below the icy surface.
Would there, in principle, be life possible
in the sub-surface ocean of Europa?
1.
2.
Yes.
No, because there’s no
light which is necessary for
plant life.
No, because it’s too cold.
No, because it’s too warm.
3.
4.
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Ganymede: A Hidden Past
Largest of the 4 Galilean moons.
• Rocky core
• Ice-rich mantle
• Crust of ice
1/3 of surface old, dark, cratered;
rest: bright, young, grooved terrain
Bright terrain probably
formed through flooding
when surface broke
Callisto: The Ancient Face
Tidally locked to Jupiter, like all of Jupiter’s moons.
composition: mixture of
ice and rocks
Dark surface, heavily
pocked with craters.
No metallic core: Callisto
never differentiated to
form core and mantle.
→ No magnetic field.
Layer of liquid water, ~ 10 km thick, ~ 100 km below
surface, probably heated by radioactive decay.
Saturn
2nd largest planet; about 16 % smaller than Jupiter.
1/3 of Jupiter’s
mass; density
less than water:
Saturn would
float in water!!
Rare, isolated
storm systems.
Rotates about as fast as Jupiter, but is twice as oblate
→ No large core of heavy elements.
Atmospheric cloud structures similar to Jupiter’s, but less obvious.
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2nd largest planet;
about 16 % smaller
than Jupiter.
Saturn
1/3 of Jupiter’s
mass; density
less than water:
Saturn would
float in water!!
Rare, isolated
storm systems.
Rotates about as fast as Jupiter, but is twice as oblate
→ No large core of heavy elements.
Atmospheric cloud structures similar to Jupiter’s, but less obvious.
Saturn’s Atmosphere
Three-layered
cloud structure,
just like on
Jupiter
Main difference
to Jupiter:
Fewer wind
zones, but much
stronger winds
than on Jupiter:
Winds up to ~ 500 m/s near the equator!
Saturn’s Magnetosphere
Magnetic field ~ 20
times weaker than
Jupiter’s
Aurorae centered
around poles
Saturn’s Rings
Consisting of ice
particles, from
microscopic to
several meters in
size.
Several subdivisions:
C-ring
B-ring
Cassini Division
A-ring
Why did the material in Saturn’s rings not clump
together to form another moon of Saturn?
1.
:10
It was too cold to melt and
clump together to form a moon.
It is mostly ice, which doesn’t
stick together.
Tidal forces of the nearby planet
kept pulling rocks apart.
It is too far away from Saturn,
so it is not gravitationally bound
to the planet.
2.
3.
4.
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Shepherd Moons
Some moons on
orbits close to the
rings focus the ring
material, keeping
the rings confined.
What will happen to a small piece of rock orbiting
Saturn, if its orbital period is exactly twice the orbital
period of a moon that is orbiting further out?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Nothing special.
It will be destroyed by tidal
forces.
It will gradually be pushed
inward and fall onto Saturn.
It will gradually be pulled
outward, away from Saturn.
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Divisions and Resonances
Moons do not only serve as “Shepherds”.
Where the orbital period of a moon is a small-number
fractional multiple (e.g., 2:3) of the orbital period of material
in the disk (“resonance”), the material is cleared out
→ Divisions
The Moons of Saturn
Largest moon:
Titan: The only moon in the solar
system with an atmosphere:
Mostly Nitrogen, but also traces
of organic compounds like
Methane and Ethane
Uranus
Discovered in 1781
4 times larger than Earth
(in radius)
14.5 times the mass of Earth
Faint rings, indirectly
detected through occultations
Rotation axis inclined by 970
against the orbital axis:
Uranus is “rolling” on its orbit
Hubble-Space-Telescope image
(rings artificially enhanced)
The Rings of Uranus
Rings of Uranus and Neptune are similar to Jupiter’s rings.
Confined by shepherd moons; consist of dark material.
Apparent motion of
star behind Uranus
and rings
Rings of Uranus were
discovered through
occultations of a
background star
The Atmosphere of Uranus
Like other gas giants: No surface.
Gradual transition from gas phase to fluid interior.
Mostly H; 15 % He, a few % Methane, ammonia and water vapor.
Optical view from Earth:
Blue color of methane
Cloud structures only visible after artificial
computer enhancement of optical images taken
from Voyager spacecraft.
The Structure of Uranus’
Atmosphere
Only one layer of
Methane clouds (in
contrast to 3 cloud layers
on Jupiter and Saturn).
Cloud layer is very
deep in Uranus’
atmosphere.
Uranus’ cloud layer
difficult to see
because of thick
atmosphere above it.
The Interior of Uranus
Average density ≈ 1.29 g/cm3 → larger portion
of rock and ice than Jupiter and Saturn.
Ices of water,
methane, and
ammonia,
mixed with
hydrogen and
silicates
Is the Earth’s magnetic north pole exactly
in line with the north pole of its rotation?
1.
2.
Yes.
No, the magnetic north pole is slightly
offset (in the direction of Canada).
No, it is substantially offset (near
25%
central Europe).
No, it is completely independent of the
rotation: The magnetic north pole is
actually on the Equator.
3.
4.
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The Magnetic Field of Uranus
No metallic core → no magnetic field was expected.
But actually, magnetic field of ~ 75 % of Earth’s
magnetic field strength was discovered:
Offset from center: ~ 30 %
of planet’s radius!
Inclined by ~ 60o against
axis of rotation.
Possibly due to dynamo in liquidwater/ammonia/methane solution in Uranus’ interior.
The Moons of Uranus
Oberon
Titania
1610 km
D = 1550 km
Umbriel
1190 km
Ariel
1160 km
Miranda
480 km
Would you expect the moons of
Uranus to be volcanically active?
1.
Yes, because their interiors should be very
hot due to tidal interactions with Uranus.
Yes, because their interiors should be very
hot due to radioactive decay of heavy
25%
elements.
Yes, because they might be heavily
bombarded by meteorites.
No, because they might be very cold and
have a very deep crust and solid mantle
region.
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The Moons of Uranus
Oberon
Titania
1610 km
D = 1550 km
Umbriel
1190 km
Ariel
1160 km
Miranda
480 km
Mostly inactive; heavily cratered surfaces.
Neptune
Discovered in
1846 at position
predicted from
gravitational
disturbances on
Uranus’ orbit.
Why does Neptune appear blue?
It’s the natural color of hydrogen in the
Neptune’s atmosphere.
It’s the natural color of methane in the
Neptune’s atmosphere.
It’s the natural color of ammonia in the
Neptune’s atmosphere.
Because of large-angle scattering of
sunlight towards Earth (the same effect
that makes our sky appear blue).
1.
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Neptune
Discovered in
1846 at position
predicted from
gravitational
disturbances on
Uranus’ orbit.
Blue-green color
from methane in
the atmosphere
4 times Earth’s diameter;
4 % smaller than Uranus
The Atmosphere of Neptune
The “Great
Dark Spot”
Cloud-belt structure with high-velocity winds;
origin not well understood.
Darker cyclonic disturbances, similar to Great
Red Spot on Jupiter, but not long-lived.
White cloud features of methane ice crystals
The Rings
of Neptune
Interrupted between
denser segments (arcs)
Made of dark material,
visible in forwardscattered light.
Ring material must be
regularly re-supplied
by dust from meteorite
impacts on the moons.
Focused by small shepherd
moons embedded in the
ring structure.
When viewed from the North, all
planets and moons are orbiting …
1.
2.
3.
Clockwise.
Counterclockwise.
All counterclockwise, except for Venus
which orbits clockwise.
Some clockwise, some
counterclockwise. There’s no preferred
sense of orbital motion.
Planets are orbiting clockwise around
the sun; moons are orbiting
counterclockwise around their planets.
4.
5.
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The Moons of Neptune
Two moons (Triton and Nereid) visible from Earth;
6 more discovered by Voyager 2
Unusual orbits:
Triton: Only
satellite in the
solar system
orbiting clockwise,
i.e. “backward”.
Nereid: Highly
eccentric orbit;
very long orbital
period (359.4 d).
The Surface of Triton
Very low temperature (34.5 K)
→ Triton can hold a
tenuous atmosphere of
nitrogen and some
methane; 105 times less
dense than Earth’s
atmosphere.
Surface composed of ices:
nitrogen, methane, carbon
monoxide, carbon dioxide.
Possibly cyclic nitrogen ice
deposition and re-vaporizing on
Triton’s south pole, similar to CO2
ice polar cap cycles on Mars.
The Surface of Triton (II)
Ongoing surface
activity: Surface
features probably
not more than 100
million years old.
Large basins
might have been
flooded multiple
times by liquids
from the interior.
Pluto and Charon
Pluto: discovered 1930
Average distance from the sun: ≈ 40 AU
Orbit highly inclined against
plane of the solar system
Most eccentric planetary orbit
in the solar system; part of
orbit is inside Neptune’s orbit!
Size of Earth
to scale
Hubble-SpaceTelescope image
Moon Charon
about half the
size of Pluto;
occasional
eclipses of
Pluto and
Charon
Would you think that Pluto and Charon have
a similar history as the four gas giants?
1.
Yes, because they are in the same region of
the solar system.
Yes, because they are very similar in size
and composition to the gas giants.
Both 1. and 2. are true.
No, because they are very different in size
and composition from the gas giants.
No, because they have very unusual orbits.
Both 4. and 5. are true.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
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The Origin of Pluto and Charon
Probably very different history than
neighboring Jovian planets.
Modern theory: Pluto and Charon members
of Kuiper belt of small, icy objects.
Collision between Pluto and Charon may have
caused the peculiar orbital patterns and large
inclination of Pluto’s rotation axis.
The Tenth “Planet”
Discovered on Jan. 8, 2005
• Bigger than Pluto
• Currently 97 AU from the sun (3 times
further than Pluto)
• Composition and surface structure
probably similar to Pluto’s