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A yellow star made of HYDROGEN
AND HELIUM GAS.
The sun gives off ENERGY!
SOLID
fastest planet
Smallest
88 day Rev.
Craters are the main feature
No Atmosphere
Extreme Temps. Hot and Cold (Facing sun: 430 C (800 F)/ Not
facing sun – 170(– 280 F)
Geologically Dead – Cooled core (Densest planet – thick core of
iron) No Volcanoes/Plate Tect.
The surface of Mercury does not change b/c there NO
ATMOS/NO Weather & it is Geo. Dead
Most like E.’s Moon
Exploration: Mariner 10 flyby for images 1974-74
SOLID; “Earth’s Twin” in mass &
size
460 C (900 F):HOTTEST
THICK atmosphere of
heat-trapping (green-house)
gases: CO2, CH4, H2O
High Atmospheric pressure –
crush you like a can!
Rev. time = 243 days
Craters, Volcanoes, Mts.,
Rotation time = 288 days
Canyons, Storms, Acid Rain
A DAY IS LONGER THAN A
(So2), No more plate tectonics?
YEAR ON VENUS!
Explored: Soviet Spacecrafts
Rotates slowly &
descended & were destroyed
BACKWARDS
SOLID
Atmosphere : 78% Nitrogen, 21%
Oxygen, 1% other gases (CO2, H2O, +
more)
Temps. 57 F (average.) – Warm
enough for liquid water!
(1) Moon
Features: Craters, Volcanoes, Mts.,
Canyons, Plates, Liquid water, LIFE
Geologically Active: Hot interior,
active volcanoes, plate tectonics,
Weathering & Erosion change surface.
1 AU from sun
Rev.= 365.25 days
Rotation ~ 24 hrs
1.5 AUs from sun
Rev. = 1.8 years
The Red Planet
Rotation time = 24 hrs
SOLID
Almost ½ Earth’s size
Atmosphere: Thin CO2
Temps. Very Cold
Range: – 207 (poles) to 70 F
(equator in summer)Has
Seasons
Satellites/Moons: Phobos &
Diemos (small, not round)
Features: Craters, extinct
volcanoes, canyons, ice
caps (water & CO2), dry
river beds, dust storms
Geologically Active? –
Cool interior, No
tectonics, No volcanism
Yes – Wind Erosion
http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/files/imagecache/news/files/news/20080722
_mars_surface.jpg
http://www.rps.psu.edu/0305/graphics/price_01.jpg
http://zuserver2.star.ucl.ac.uk/~idh/apod/ap970915.html
http://www.mactonnies.com/firstcolor.jpg
http://www.marsbase.net/m/mars-map.php
Most Explored Planet
Orbiting Spacecrafts –
Images & Climate &
Temp. Readings
Rovers – Spirit &
Odyssey are still roving!
http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/home/index.html
Change on Mars
1. Describe conditions on early Mars? In
what ways was it Earth-like?
2. What happened? Map the changes that
took place to make Mars a cold frozen
planet.
Inner Planets (Terrestrial)
Commonalities:
1. Relative small size
2. Solid, rocky surfaces (Craters)
3. Few or no moons
4. Warmer than outer planets
5. No rings
Asteroids = Big Space Rocks (< 1 km in diameter)
•Separates the inner and outer solar system
•Early S.System remnants that didn’t form planets.
•Not enough mass (hence gravity) to be spherical.
•Some are rubble heaps
•Rock + Metals (platinum, cobolt) + ice
NASA’s NEOhttp://neo.jpl.nasa.gov
Videos
The Universe Season 1, Episode 7
Mercury & Venus (1/3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDWCRPa6e0I&playnext=1&list=PL16515A70C153B1E3
Mercury & Venus (2/3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8GzadApTpM&playnext=1&list=PL16515A70C153B1E3
Mercury & Venus (3/3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q6LHuaT3bo&playnext=1&list=PL16515A70C153B1E3
Mars (1/3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymg4n80tnv4&playnext=1&list=PL98664440C5493F39
Mars (2/3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwmKYRYCq-w&playnext=1&list=PL98664440C5493F39
Mars (3/3)
Carl Sagan’s Cosmos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBqjob-UVeo