Download ADDITIONAL NOTES THE JOVIAN PLANETS AND SOME OF

ADDITIONAL NOTES
THE JOVIAN PLANETS AND SOME OF THEIR SATELLITES
The differences between Terrestrial and Jovian planets
SIZE:
TERRESTRIAL PLANETS
Small
JOVIAN PLANETS
Large
ROTATION:
Slow
Fast
DENSITY:
High
Low
INTERIOR
CHEMICAL
COMPOSITION: Mostly Fe
Ni, S, Si, Mg
Mostly H (Liquid)
Some He, icy & rocky
Core
ATMOSPHERE: Small Amount
(Mercury) to
Thick (Venus)
CO2, N2 & O2
H, He, Methane & Ammonia
SURFACE:
Liquid - Hydrogen
RING SYSTEM:
Rocky- mostly silicates
None
All have some type of
Ring structure made of solid material
(mostly ices) of various sizes
GENERAL PROPERTIES OF THE JOVIAN PLANETS
Jupiter:
Interior of liquid molecular and liquid “Metallic” hydrogen, and a solid core. The liquid surface
is about 3000 degrees C, with a very thick complex atmosphere with colors maybe due to
compounds of phosphorus and\or sulfur, Great Red Spot is a large circular storm of high
pressure.
Saturn:
Top of the atmosphere has a haze of ice crystals from various gases so that the colors of the
atmosphere are muted. The interior structure is similar to Jupiter. Extensive and complex ring
system. Some rings are controlled by the gravity of small satellites called shepherding satellites.
Uranus:
The blue-green color is due to methane in the atmosphere. The axis of rotation is perpendicular
to its orbital plan. The ring system and many of its satellites orbit around its equator.
Neptune:
It is like Uranus except the atmosphere is much more active with white ice clouds and even a
large dark spot similar to Jupiter’s Red Spot. The Rings are thin and dark compared to Saturn’s.
JOVIAN SATELLITES
Jupiter:
Io - Moon size, active volcanoes, lava lakes, atmosphere of SO2, very little cratering.
Europa- Moon size, surface of moving water ice, subsurface of liquid water, small amount of cratering.
Ganymede - Largest Satellite in Solar System at about 1.5 times the Moon, with craters and younger bands of
grooved and smooth surface features caused by water moving up and freezing.
Callisto – Size is about 1.4 times the Moon. Very old highly cratered surface of mostly ice and some rock.
Saturn:
Titan - Almost as large as Ganymede; Relatively thick atmosphere at about 1.5 times Earth’s, mostly of
Nitrogen; rivers and lakes of methane; surface temperature is -290 Fo.
Enceladus - small size, diameter of about 505 km; has active water and some organic material geysers
Uranus:
Miranda
Small size, diameter of 472 km; Cratered surface with areas of ridges and valleys with a sheer cliff of about
9km.
Neptune:
Triton
Thin nitrogen atmosphere; surface of ices of mostly nitrogen and water; active geysers of
Nitrogen, water and Methane. Complex surface of undulating volcanic high plains, walled and
Terraced plains, smooth plains, Cantaloupe Terrain with ridges and fissures.