Download Study Guide 24-3 - The Outer Planets

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Study Guide 24-3 - The Outer Planets
Ms. Grady
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and (Pluto)
What are the main characteristics of the outer planets?
 Gas giants
 Very massive (big)
 There is no solid surface,  They are far from the
there may be an inner rocky Sun and cold.
core (Uranus does not have
a core).
 They have many moons
and rings
 They orbit more slowly
and more elliptically.
Jupiter – The fifth (5th) planet from the Sun
Romans named this planet after the
It is made up of mostly hydrogen and
King of Gods.
helium gases with ammonia, methane, and
water.
 Largest of all the planets
 ‘The Giant Planet’
Our sun contains 99.8% of all the
The atmosphere changes to a liquid
matter in our solar system.
hydrogen and helium ocean near the
 Jupiter contains 70% of all the middle of the planet.
 Below this may be a rocky core.
remaining matter in the solar
system.
High pressure swirling storms have been
The core reaches 30,000˚ C
found on Jupiter. They are similar to Earth’s
 This is 5 times the surface of
hurricanes.
the Sun.
 Ex. The Great Red Spot
Some scientists hypothesize that if
Jupiter had grown larger during its
formation, then it would have become
a star.
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Moons of Jupiter
63 Moons orbit Jupiter
 The four largest moons are:
1. Ganymede
2. Europa
3. Io
4. Callisto
Gaileo found evidence of subsurface salt
water on
 Europa
 Ganymede and
 Callisto
 He also discovered the intensity
(power/force) of volcanic activity
on Io.
Saturn – The 6th planet from the Sun
Named after the God of time
Saturn - A world of Many Rings
nd
 2 largest planet
It is made of gases.
There are several broad (wide) rings.
 It has a thick outer atmosphere
 Has 7 major rings (A-G).
composed (made up of) mostly of
 Each ring is made of tiny ringlets
hydrogen + helium
made of ice + rock particles.
 Also, it has ammonia, methane and
 Saturn spins so fast that it flattens
water vapor
at the poles and bulges at the
 Below the atmosphere and liquid
equator.
layer it may have a small rocky
core.
 It is the least dense planet.
 It has 47 moons. The largest moon
is Titan. It is larger than Mercury.
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Uranus – Seventh (7
Named for the father of Saturn.
 Discovered by Sir William Herschel
in 1781.
The axis of Uranus is tilted at 98˚angle.
It has 11 dark rings and 27 moons.
th)
planet from the Sun
The methane gives the planet a bluishgreen color.
It does not have a separate core.
 Uranus’ largest moon, Titania has
many deep valleys.
 The valleys indicate (tell us) that
the moon was reshaped by some
force after the formation.
Neptune – The Eight (8th) planet from the Sun
Characteristics of Neptune:
 It is covered by clouds of hydrogen,
helium and methane.
 It has a bluish appearance (color).
Pictures from the Hubble show that the
atmosphere changes rapidly (quickly)
because the Great Dark Spot disappears
(goes away) and then reappears (returns)
on Neptune.
 Under its atmosphere, Neptune has
a mixture of rock + ice made of
methane and ammonia.
Earth and Neptune
Known as the Mathematician’s Planet”
 Mathematicians predicted the location
of Neptune as early as 1845.
 It was discovered in 1846.
 Neptune was named for the Roman
God of the Sea.
 It probably has a rocky core.
Voyager found
 13 moons and 5 rings
 Triton = Neptune’s largest moon
 Orbits in a retrograde pattern
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Dwarf Planets (Minor Planets) Dwarf means small in English. These
planets DO NOT have a clear path.
Ceres
 Diameter =
940 km
 Located in
asteroid belt
at an average
distance about
2.7 AU
Pluto
3 moons:
 Charon =
(biggest moon)
 Hydra
 Nix
Eris
 Slightly
larger than
Pluto
Makemake
 3rd
largest
planet.
 Diameter =
2400 km
 It
orbits
outside of
Neptune.
 It has a
very elliptical
orbit that
varies
between 3898 AU from
the Sun.
 It has 1
moon
What defines a planet?
1. They must orbit the Sun.
2. They must be spherical (round).
3. Has a clear neighborhood.
Hamuea
 Is in the
Kuiper Belt