Download Space and Mythology

Space and Mythology
Our Solar System
Vulcan
• Every knows that Mercury is the closest planet to the sun…right?
• In the 1700s, in an attempt to find out why Mercury has a screwed
up orbit, one astronomer predicted a planet between Mercury and
the sun.
• Since this guy already successfully predicted Neptune, people
listened to what he had to say.
• This planet could only be seen as it passed in front of the sun or
during a solar eclipse.
• They found what was believed to be a small planet actually crossing
between Mercury and the sun. This planet was called Vulcan.
• Later, however, it was shown by Einstein that the laws of gravity
allowed Mercury’s orbit. It was then proven that Vulcan doesn’t
exist.
• Why is it called Vulcan?
Mercury
• Year – 88 Earth Days
• Day – 58 Earth Days
• Moons – none (thought we found one in 1974,
but we were wrong)
• Daytime reaches 800°
• Nighttime reaches -280° (no real atmosphere to
retain the heat)
• Asian cultures saw it as the water star
• Why is it called Mercury?
Venus
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Year – 225 Earth Days
Day – 243 Earth Days
Moons – none
Daytime reaches 890° (hot enough
to melt lead) - Global Warming from
Hades! The cloudy atmosphere traps all
the heat in and keeps it, making it possible to see
beyond the horizon in a “fish eye” view.
Rotates backward (only planet to do so)
Babylonians named it after their goddess of beauty,
Ishtar
When seen in the morning, it is sometimes referred to as
Lucifer
Why is it called Venus?
Neith
•
Moon of Venus? Extra Planet?
•
In 1672,an astronmer noticed a small companion close to Venus and saw it again 14
years later.
Other astronomers saw it too. Once, it was even seen along with Venus going in
transit across the sun.
In 1766, the director of the Vienna observatory, Father Hell (real name) declared that
it was an optical illusion because Venus is so bright.
Very controversial at the time.
In 1884, the director of the Royal Observatory of Brussels, suggested that it was not
a moon, but another planet.
He named it Neith, after the mysterious goddess of Sais, whose veil no mortal raised.
Later evaluations of the sitings showed that it was probably a very faint star in the
way, but that doesn’t explain the siting in front of the sun.
A very famous astronomer in the late 1800s (Barnard) listed a faint star in his
recordings near Venus. He was one of the most accurate star listers in history;
however, there is no star in that vicinity. A moon, perhaps? Neith? An asteroid? No
one knows.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Lilith
• The supposed dark moon that
no one could see around earth,
giving us not one, but two moons.
• This was predicted in the 1800s and keeps
coming up. No real astronomer actually
believes it today, but astrologers sometimes use
it in their predictions.
• The moon does, however, most likely have
Trojan satellites called Kordylewski clouds.
• Why was it called Lilith?
Apollo Asteroids
• These are asteroids that make near Earth
passes.
• Many of them have mythological names
like Sissyphus, Icarus, and Bacchus.
• The first one found was named Apollo.
• Why might they be called
Apollo asteroids?
Eros
• An huge near Earth asteroid that we sent
a satellite to orbit and take pictures.
• Often referred to by it’s fat banana shape.
Mars
• The fourth planet from the sun.
• This planet is dark orange / reddish in color.
• It is one and a half Earth distances (AUs) from
the sun.
• 1 year is 687 Earth days
• For a good portion of the early 1900s, there
appeared to “channels” on Mars, perhaps alien
made. This was made use of in the novel War
of the Worlds.
• Mars has 2 moons named Phobos and Demos
• Why is it called Mars?
The Faces of Mars
Man on Mars?
Ceres
• Between Mars and Jupiter is
an asteroid belt. In that asteroid belt
resides a planet, or rather, the smallest dwarf
planet we know about it.
• It may have an ocean and may have a water
vapor atmosphere.
• It was found because of the
Titius-Bode law.
• Was almost named Hera.
Jupiter
• The largest planet in solar system
• Has no solid surface – some think
it is a failed star
• Biggest feature is the Red Spot, a
storm that has lasted for at least
300 years
• Jupiter has one ring around it
• Jupiter’s moons are named after people that Jupiter held
hands with. The biggest and easiest to see are Io,
Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
• There are at least 61 moons.
• Why is it called Jupiter?
Saturn
• 2nd largest planet in our
solar system
• Best known for its rings (ears, handles)
• The largest moon is Titan, which has an
atmosphere and could contain life
• Many of its 60 moons are named after
titans, but quite a few are named after
other mythology figures. One is even
named after Fenrir, a Norse figure
Uranus
• The guy who discovered it wanted
to name it Georgium Sidus in honor
of King George III.
• It’s named Uranus just to keep it with
the mythological names
• It is on its side and no one knows which end is
the north pole
• Has rings, but thin and dark
• 15 moons, which are not named after mythology
figures (boo!) but instead after characters from
Shakespeare and Pope (yea!)
Neptune
• This planet was predicted
before it was found by the same
guy who later predicted Vulcan
• The planet's name is translated
literally as the sea king star in Asian cultures.
• In India the planet is named Varuna, the god of
the sea.
• Neptune has rings and 13 moons. The moons
all have names associated with water deities
(like Triton and Nereid)
• What about this planet suggests the water gods?
Pluto
• No longer a planet – now a dwarf
planet. This is a sad story that
I’m not willing to go into right
now. *sniff*
• Pluto was really hard to see – thus the name!
• It is very small (less than ¾ the size of our own
moon)
• It has three moons, one is almost the same size
and was almost considered a planet in itself. It’s
name is Charon. The other moons are
unofficially named Hydra and Nix.
• Undergoing global warming right now.
• Part of the Kuiper Belt
Eris
• Because of this dwarf planet, Pluto is
no longer a planet.
• Originally named Xena by its
discoverers
• It is WAY out there! (96.7 times the distance the Earth is
from the sun)
• One year = 557 Earth years
• The orbit breaks the normal plane of orbit around the
sun.
• There is one moon, named after Eris’s daughter,
Dysnomia (Greek for lawlessness and one last stab by
the discoverers to get Xena in (actress name is Lucy
Lawless)).
• Why named Eris?
Nemesis
• Beyond the Kuiper belt lies the
Oort cloud, a supposed resting
place for tired comets.
• Some scientists has suggested
that there is a dark star, a companion to ours,
that hits this cloud once every 30 million years,
sending comets flying into our solar system and
then pounding Earth, causing dramatic climate
change. (This is not a widely held view,
although it does help answer many questions
and has growing support)
• Why called Nemesis?
http://www.nineplanets.org/hypo.html#neith