overview of solar system - university of wisconsin ...overview of the solar system mercury (no...

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Lecture 9

Overview of the Solar System

January 6b, 2014

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Overview of the Solar System

Mercury

(no moons)

Mars

(2 moons)

Earth

(1 moon)

Venus

(no moons)

Neptune

(13 moons)

Uranus

(27 moons)

Saturn

(56 moons)

Asteroid

Belt

Jupiter

(63 moons)

Pluto

(3 moon)

Inner Planets

“Terrestrial Planets”

Outer Planets

“Jovian Planets”

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New Solar System – August 2006

12 other objects are on the “watch list” as potential dwarf planets

In 2008 Haumea and Makemake also given dwarf planet status. 2003 UB313 is now called Eris

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haumea_(dwarf_planet)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makemake_(dwarf_planet)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eris_(dwarf_planet)

Solar System -- Size Scale M

ercu

ry (

0)

Ven

us

(0)

Eart

h (

1)

Mars

(2)

Jupiter (63) Saturn (56)

Uranus (27)

Neptune (13)

Plu

to (

3)

Inner Planets

or

Terrestrial

Planets

Outer Planets or

Jovian Planets

(do not include Pluto)

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Terrestrial Planets

Size = small

Composition = Rock/Metal

Spin = slow

Moons = few

No rings

Do not generate much internal heat

Atmosphere = Oxygen Rich

Magnetic Field = None or weak

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Jovian Planets

Size = large

Composition = Gas/liquid

Spin = fast

Moons = many

All have rings

Generate internal heat (not Uranus)

Atmosphere = Hydrogen Rich

Magnetic Field = Strong

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Orbital Properties

• All planets revolve around the sun in the

same direction.

• Most planets, and the sun, rotate in the same

direction as they revolve about the sun.

• All planets orbit roughly in the same plane.

• Most planetary orbits are not highly

elliptical.

Suppose a new solar system object is discovered

that has a low density, a high magnetic field, and

rotates rapidly. It is likely

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a te

rrest

rial p

lanet.

a Jo

vian p

lanet.

an a

stero

id.

a co

met.

0% 0%0%0%

0 of 78

A. a terrestrial planet.

B. a Jovian planet.

C. an asteroid.

D. a comet.

90

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Measuring Distances in the SS

• Distances are measured in Astronomical

Units (AU)

– 1 AU = 1.50×108 km = 9.30×107 miles

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Orbital Properties of the Planets 1. All planets

revolve

around the

sun in the

same

direction.

2. Most

planets, and

the sun,

rotate in the

same

direction as

they revolve

about the

sun.

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Orbital Properties of the Planets 4. Most

planetary

orbits are

not highly

elliptical.

3. All planets

orbit roughly in

the same plane.

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Orbits from Above

Solar System Links

Simulation 1

Simulation 2

NASA Solar System Exploration

NASA Interactive Tutorial

NASA solar system site – JPL Solar System

NASA solar system site – Welcome to the Planets

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http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/humnet/french/faculty/gans/java/SolarApplet.html

http://janus.astro.umd.edu/javadir/orbits/ssv.html

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/index.cfm

http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/solar_system/

http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome.htm

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Which of the following is NOT a feature of the

solar system?

A. All the planets orbit the Sun in the same

direction.

B. All the planets spin on their axes in the same

direction.

C. All the planetary orbits move in orbits that lie

in nearly the same plane.

D. The planets nearest the Sun contain only small

amounts of substances that condense at low

temperatures.

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Which of the following is NOT a feature of the

solar system?

A. All the planets orbit the Sun in the same

direction.

B. All the planets spin on their axes in the

same direction.

C. All the planetary orbits move in orbits that lie

in nearly the same plane.

D. The planets nearest the Sun contain only small

amounts of substances that condense at low

temperatures.

overview of solar system - university of wisconsin ...overview of the solar system mercury (no...

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