The Solar System

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The Solar System

• By
• Mr. Coverdale

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How was the Solar System formed?

• 5 billion years ago the Solar System was a nebula
  (cloud of gas and dust)
• Gravity pulled the particles together until the
  heat rose enough to form the sun and then the
  planets.

• M42 The Orion Nebula

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Lets Meet the Planets

• The Countdown Begins!!!
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• 4
• 3
• 2
• 1
• We have lift-off!!!!

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Planets of the Solar System
Pierre Public Schools

• Mercury
• Venus
• Earth (Thats where we live)
• Mars
• Jupiter
• Saturn
• Uranus
• Neptune
• Pluto and Charon

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TERRESTRIAL PLANETS

• The four planets closest to the sun which are
  made up of solid rock, and, because of their size
  and composition, are classified as Earth-like
  (terrestrial).

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Mercury

• Closest to sun
• Smallest Terrestrial Planet
• First time viewed was in 1974 (Mariner 10)
• Surface similar to Earths moon

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Photos of Mercury

• Weak gravitational force (due to small mass)
• Almost no atmosphere
• Temperature ranges from -170 C to 450C

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Venus

• 2nd Planet from sun
• Called Earths twin because similar in size and
  density to Earth
• Thick dense clouds of sulfuric acid
• Atmosphere mostly made up of CO2

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Venus

• Great atmospheric pressure (91 times Earths)
• Surface Temp is 470 C Why hotter than Mercury
  ? Greenhouse Effect from CO2
• g. Rotates VERY slowly and backwards
  (retrograde rotation)

• Venuss surface

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Earth
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Mars

• 4th planet from sun
• Early info. came from Viking probe in 1976
• Red planet because of high concentration of
  iron oxide
• Many craters and channels carved from water in
  Mars past are on the surface.

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Mars

• Frozen ice caps made up of frozen water and CO2
• Temperature ranges from -20 to -140 C.
• Two small moons Phobos and Deimos
• Valles Mariners Huge canyon
• Olympus MonsLargest volcano in Solar System

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Olympus Mons Largest Volcano in Solar System
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Mars VideoCould there have been life on Mars?
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THE GASEOUS GIANTS

• Huge low-density planets composed mostly of
  gases.
• Much of our early information came from the
  Voyager space probes in 1977.
• The Hubble Telescope has improved our knowledge
  of these planets.

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Jupiter

• Largest planet (11/2 larger than all planets
  combined?5th from sun
• Made up mostly of hydrogen and helium gases
• Surrounded by strong magnetic and gravitational
  fields

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Jupiters Red Spot

• Great Red Spot Huge/continuous storm of swirling
  gas
• Has at least 16 moons
• Four Major Moons

• Red Spot of Jupiter

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1. Io

• Most volcanically active object in the Solar
  System
• Closest moon to Jupiter

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2. Europa

• Ice covered
• Interests scientists because there is the
  possibility of liquid water underneath the ice.

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3. Ganymede

• Largest satellite (moon) in the solar system

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4. Callisto

• Many craters
• What does this show?

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Saturn

• Second largest planet, but lowest density
• 6th planet from sun
• Similar composition to Jupiter
• Circled by several broad rings made up of ice
  particles, specks of dust, and rocks

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Saturns moons
Titan

• Has at least 20 moons
• Titan is the largest (larger than Mercury)

Dione
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Uranus

• 7th Planet from the sun
• Atmosphere is composed of hydrogen, helium, and
  methane? Methane gives it a blue/green color

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Uranus

• Extreme high degree of tilt to its axis of
  rotation (almost like it is rotating on its side)

• Ariel (Uranian Moon)

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Neptune

• Similar in atmosphere/structure to Uranus
• Normally the 8th planet from the sun, but
  sometimes is farther from the sun than Pluto

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Neptunes Moons

• Has at least 8 moons
• Triton Largest moon made mostly of nitrogen gas
  and has many large geysers

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Pluto and Charon

• Different from all planets
• Small and composed of rock and ice
• Not considered either a terrestrial or gaseous
  giant planet
• Pluto ?

• Pluto and Charon

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Charon

• Charon Small moon of Pluto which orbits so
  closely that it is like a double planet

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Heliopause

• Heliopause The boundary between local space (our
  solar system) and intersteller space.

• Interplanetary medium (similar composition to the
  heliopause)

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III. Other Objects in the Solar System

• An asteroid compared to the moons of Mars. (Moons
  on bottom)

• Halleys Comet

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A. Comets

• Comets A large chunk of ice, dust, frozen gases,
  and rock fragments that moves through space.
• Shoemaker-Levy

• Halleys Comet

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Comets

• Oort Cloud The icy cloud that surrounds the
  solar system where most astronomers believe
  comets originate from.
• Comets are formed when a chunk of ice is pulled
  from the Oort Cloud by a near star.

• Hale-Bopp Comet

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B. Asteroids

• Asteroids A large chunk of rock traveling
  through space.
• Asteroid Belt Most asteroids are located in an
  area between the orbit of Mars and Jupiter.

• Asteroid and its moon

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Asteroids

• The asteroids in this belt may have formed into
  planets had it not been for the strong gravity of
  Jupiter.
• Most asteroids are 1km or less.

• Gaspra

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Scary Asteroids

• Ceres (Below) Largest asteroid is 940 km in
  diameter.
• In 1972 a 1000 ton asteroid passed within 60 km
  of Earth

• More asteroids

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C. Meteoroids, Meteors, and Meteorites

• Meteoroids Small pieces of rock moving through
  space.
• Range in size from grains of sand to huge
  fragments of rock.

• Meteors Name given to a meteoroid that enters
  the atmosphere.
• Friction will cause the meteor to glow ans
  usually burn up before hitting the surface.

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More Meteors

• Meteorite A meteoroid that strikes the Earths
  surface.

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Barringer Crater in Arizona

• 1.2 km wide crater formed by a meteorite