Download Document

A Spacecraft Tour
of the Solar System
James Zimbelman
Center for Earth and Planetary Studies
National Air and Space Museum
photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov
The Sun
Diam. ~109E
‘The Center’
>99.99% mass
of the SS
Energy!
Typical ‘middle
-aged’ star
Transition
Region
And
Coronal
Explorer
A Moon-like body
No significant atmosphere
Mercury
Diam. ~0.3E
Very large iron core
Mariner 10 (74-75)
(1/14/08)
MESSENGER
Image coverage of Mercury (before MESSENGER orbit, 3/11)
PIA 12278
Complex (volcanic) crater
(MESSENGER, 7/7/11)
Beagle Rupes
(MESSENGER, 6/12/11)
Discovery
Rupes
(M10)
Venus
Diam. ~0.9E
Earth-like size
Dense, thick
atmosphere
Hot!!!
Magellan (90-94)
Impact Craters
Not many, but very distinctive …
Magellan (90-94)
Volcanism
Domes, lava
flows, central
volcanoes, etc.
Magellan (90-94)
Tectonism - the surface is very broken in many places …
(Crater rim)
Magellan (90-94)
Earth
The Blue Planet
Blue - oceans
(liquid water)
White - clouds
(condensed water
vapor)
White - polar ice
(frozen water)
Apollo 17 (72)
A Perseid meteor below ISS!
NASA/JSC (8/13/11)
The Moon
Diam. ~0.25E
We are almost
a double planet
Clementine (01)
Galileo (96)
Apollo 11
Apollo 12
The Apollo 17 landing site
LROC NAC (from 22 km alt)
NASA/GSFC/ASU
Mars
Diam. ~0.5E
The Red Planet
Thin atmosphere
Limited H2O
Lots of history
Hubble
Space
Telescope
Mars Exploration Rovers
Spirit
Opportunity
Landed in Gusev Crater
1/3/04
Landed in Meridiani Planum
1/25/04
Spirit in Gusev Crater (last communication, 3/10)
Driven 7.73 km
(4.80 mi)