moons of the solar system: 3 categories: 7 large (each is distinctive) 12 medium-size many small...
Post on 20-Dec-2015
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Moons of the solar system:
3 categories: 7 large (each is distinctive) 12 medium-size many small (most are captured)
Io, the most volcanic object in the solar system, due to tidal forces between Io, Europa, and Jupiter
SaturnCassini is currently in orbit around Saturn and is continually sending back more data about Saturn and its moons.
Uranus and Neptune
Just one spacecraft (Voyager II) has visited Uranus and NeptuneBoth planets get their bluish color from methane in their atmospheres.
Jovian Magnetic Fields
Uranus’ and Neptune’s magnetic fields have strange orientations, and are not at all aligned with the rotation of the planet.Saturn’s magnetic field is perfectly aligned.
These are Saturn’s rings, but the other three Jovian planets also have rings, much smaller and difficult to see except by visiting spacecraft.
Large moons of the solar system: Titan
• This next slide compares the terrestrial planets with the Earth’s Moon, the four Galilean moons of Jupiter, and Titan, the largest moon of Saturn.
• Titan is the only moon in the solar system which has an atmosphere.
• The atmosphere is mostly nitrogen and thicker than even Earth’s atmosphere.
Titan’s atmosphere has a high altitude haze, seen by the Cassini spacecrafton the left is a purplish haze,
on the right is a view near the terminator between day and night (Sun to the right)
A Titan crater, as seen by the Cassini spacecraft with visible light on the left, infrared on the right,
and radar images in the middle. A radar shows the details of the topographic (altitude-related) features.
The surface of Titan was imaged by the probe “Huygens”This is taken from about 8 km altitude as it was descending.
Rivers are seen on the surface of Titan as the probe “Huygens” descended to the surface. It landed and took pictures (right).
A possible volcano (a cryovolcano) on Titan, seen by the Cassini spacecraft. This may be a major source of methane for Titan’s atmosphere.
Radar sweeps of the North pole of Titan, taken by the Cassini spacecraft, showing lakes of methane and ethane.
Flat areas in radar images are probablyliquid surfaces, and are colored blue to resemble features on Earth. The radarimage has no color in reality. (late 2007)