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The Solar System The Solar System • Our tiny corner of Universe is dominated by a star we call the Sun. • Trapped in the gravity of the Sun is a huge family of bodies – planets, moons, asteroids, comets which hurtle with it through space. • This family is our Solar System. • The effects of the Sun, its heat, gravity and light extend far beyond the farthest planet, Pluto, to about a quarter of the way to the next nearest star, Proxima Centauri. The Planets • Nine planets orbit the Sun at different distances. • The four inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) are balls of rock and metal. • The outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) are giant balls of gas and liquid. Pluto, the furthest planet is made from ice and rock. • The time it takes a planet to orbit the Sun is its orbital period (its year). Planets also rotate as they travel. The time it takes for a planet to rotate once is its rotation period (its day). The Sun • • • • Size: Diameter of 1,390,000 km Mass: 1.99 x 1030 kg Distance from Earth: 149.6 million km Composition: 70% Hydrogen, 28% Helium, 2% other elements • Temperature: Surface: 5,800oC Core: 15,600,000oC • Planets: 9 • Colour: Orange The Sun • The Sun is a 1.4 million km ball of burning gas. • Variations in the Sun’s magnetic field cause huge solar flares to shoot into space. • Solar flares can be accompanied by dense clouds of electrically charged solar wind. • Solar wind can disrupt communication satellites. Mercury • • • • • • • • • • • Size: Diameter of 4,880 km Mass: 3.30 x 1023 kg Distance from Sun: 57.91 million km Distance from Earth: Max 207.9 million km Min 92 million km Atmosphere: Negligible atmosphere Temperature: 450oC Day; -170oC Night Length of Year: 88 Earth days Length of Day: 59 Earth days Moons: None Colour: Dark Grey Core: Iron rich core about 3600 km in diameter Mercury • The most conspicuous feature on the planet is the huge Caloris Basin (1300 km across). • The Caloris Basin was formed by a collision between Mercury and another rocky body. • Mercury has the widest temperature range on any planet in the Solar System. Venus • • • • • • • • • • • Size: Diameter of 12,104 km Mass: 4.87 x 1024 kg Distance from Sun: 108.21 million km Distance from Earth: Max 258 million km Min 41 million km Atmosphere: Mainly carbon dioxide 90 times Earth pressure Temperature: Average 480oC Length of Year: 225 Earth days Length of Day: 243 Earth days Moons: None Colour: White cloud tops Core: Iron/Nickel core Venus • Venus has the longest day of any planet in the Solar System (243 days). • It’s the only planet where the sun rises in the west and sets in the east. • Venus has a poisonous atmosphere – it is full of sulphuric acid. • It’s thick carbon dioxide atmosphere creates a strong greenhouse effect. Earth • • • • • • • • • • Size: Diameter of 12,756 km Mass: 5.97 x 1024 kg Distance from Sun: 149.6 million km Atmosphere: Mainly nitrogen with oxygen and carbon dioxide Temperature: Average 22oC Length of Year: 365.26 Earth days Length of Day: 24 Earth hours Moons: 1 (The Moon) Colour: Blue and green Core: Iron/Nickel core Earth • The only planet in the Solar System where life has been confirmed. • The planet is the correct distance from the Sun for water to exist as a liquid. • Earth’s oceans help regulate the planet’s temperature. • The Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field shield the planet from most of the solar radiation. Mars • • • • • • • • • • • Size: Diameter of 6,792 km Mass: 6.42 x 1023 kg Distance from Sun: 228 million km Distance from Earth: Max 378 million km Min 78 million km Atmosphere: Thin carbon dioxide atmosphere Temperature: Average -55oC Length of Year: 687 Earth days Length of Day: 24 Earth hours 37 minutes Moons: 2 (Deimos and Phobos) Colour: Red Core: Small iron core Mars • The temperature of Mars is closer to Earth than any other planet in the Solar System (27oC in summer). • Valles Marineres is the longest ever canyon system. It measures over 5,000 km along the equator with an average depth of 6 km. • Olympus Mons is the largest volcano in the Solar System. It measures 700 km wide and reaches 27 km high. Jupiter • • • • • • • • • • • Size: Diameter of 142,984 km Mass: 1.90 x 1027 kg Distance from Sun: 778.3 million km Distance from Earth: Max 928 million km Min 628 million km Atmosphere: Mainly hydrogen and helium Temperature: -123oC at the surface 20,000oC at the core Length of Year: 4,333 Earth days Length of Day: 10 Earth hours 40 minutes Moons: 58+ (Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto) Colour: Yellow/orange Core: Rocky iron core Jupiter • Jupiter is one of the four ‘gas giant’ planets. It is composed of a swirling ball of gas with a small rocky core. • The Great Red Spot is a vast thunderstorm that has raged on Jupiter for over 400 years. • The Great Red Spot is over twice the size of Earth and is the largest thunderstorm in the Solar System. Saturn • • • • • • • • • • • Size: Diameter of 120,536 km Mass: 5.68 x 1026 kg Distance from Sun: 1,429.4 million km Distance from Earth: Max 1,579 million km Min 1,279 million km Atmosphere: Mainly hydrogen and helium Temperature: -180oC at the surface 12,000oC at the core Length of Year: 10,750 Earth days Length of Day: 10 Earth hours 14 minutes Moons: 31+ (Titan, Iapetus, Dione, Encelaus, Mimas) Colour: Beige Core: Rocky iron core Saturn • Saturn is a ‘gas giant’, like its larger neighbour Jupiter. • Saturn ring system is the most spectacular in all the Solar System. • These rings are made up of billions of rock particles ranging from a few microns to a few meters in length. • The planet’s density is so small that it could float on water. Uranus • • • • • • • • • • • Size: Diameter of 51,118 km Mass: 8.68 x 1025 kg Distance from Sun: 2,875 million km Distance from Earth: Max 3,025 million km Min 2,725 million km Atmosphere: Hydrogen, helium, methane Temperature: -214oC Length of Year: 30,707 Earth days Length of Day: 17 Earth hours 12 minutes Moons: 21+ (Oberon, Titania, Umbriel, Ariel, Miranda) Colour: Blue/green Core: Rocky ice core Uranus • Like Jupiter, Saturn & Neptune Uranus is a planet made almost entirely of hydrogen, helium and methane gas. • Uranus appears blue due to its atmospheric methane that absorbs red light from the Sun. • Uranus is a featureless planet. Enhanced imaging shows seasonal atmospheric changes • Uranus is the only planet to spin on its side. Neptune • • • • • • • • • • • Size: Diameter of 49,532 km Mass: 1.02 x 1026 kg Distance from Sun: 4,504 million km Distance from Earth: Max 4,564 million km Min 4,354 million km Atmosphere: Hydrogen, helium and methane Temperature: -220oC Length of Year: 60,202 Earth days Length of Day: 16 Earth hours 7 minutes Moons: 11+ (Triton) Colour: Deep blue Core: Rocky ice core Neptune • Neptune is one of the four ‘gas giant’ planets, composed almost entirely of gas. • Voyager 2 spotted a small white cloud shooting around Neptune’s upper atmosphere every 16 hours. • Neptune has the wildest weather in the Solar System, with winds of up to 2,000 km/h • During certain points in its orbit Neptune becomes the furthest planet from the sun. Pluto • • • • • • • • • • • Size: Diameter of 2,300 km Mass: 1.27 x 1022 kg Distance from Sun: 5,915 million km Distance from Earth: Max 7,525 million km Min 4,275 million km Atmosphere: Thin nitrogen atmosphere with carbon dioxide and methane Temperature: -223oC Length of Year: 90,803 Earth days Length of Day: 6.39 Earth days Moons: 1 (Charon) Colour: Unknown Core: Unknown Pluto • Pluto is the furthest planet from the Sun, except for a 20 year period in its 248 year orbit when it comes closer to the Sun than Neptune. • Hubble telescope images show light and dark regions • Lighter areas are probably ices of nitrogen, methane, ethane and carbon dioxide. • Darker areas may be a result of chemical reactions driven by cosmic rays. Asteroids • Asteroids are lumps of rocky debris that float around in the Solar System. • Most are found in the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars. • They range in size from tiny dust particles to nearly 1,000 km across. • Class C: silicates Class M: nickel + iron Class S: nickel + iron + silicates Comets • Comets are icy chunks of water and dust that originate in the outer Solar System. • When comets approach the Sun they vapourise, hence developing a bright tail. • Comets originate from two regions, the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud. • The Kuiper Belt extends from Neptune out past Pluto. • The Oort Cloud surrounds the entire Solar System.