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The Giant Planets - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus

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The Giant Planets - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune Chapter 8 Jovian Planets: Basics Distance: 5-30 AU Much farther from Sun than terrestrial planets Much colder ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: The Giant Planets - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus


1
The Giant Planets -Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus
Neptune
Chapter 8
2
Jovian Planets Basics
  • Distance 5-30 AU
  • Much farther from Sun than terrestrial planets
  • Much colder (100-50 K)
  • Mass 10-100 Earth masses
  • Much more massive than terrestrial planets
  • Jupiter Saturn are similar
  • Size (about 10 Earth diameters)
  • Composition mostly hydrogen and helium
  • Uranus Neptune are similar
  • Smaller than Jupiter Saturn
  • Less hydrogen and helium

3
Basic Data
  • Jupiter
  • 318 Earth masses
  • 11 Earth diameters
  • density 1.3 g/cm3
  • Saturn
  • 95 Earth masses
  • density 0.7 g/cm3
  • would float!
  • lowest of any planet

4
Basic Data
  • Uranus
  • 14 Earth masses
  • density 1.2 g/cm3
  • diameter 36 of Jupiters
  • Neptune
  • 17 Earth masses
  • density 1.6 g/cm3
  • diameter 35 of Jupiters

5
Appearance
  • Jovian planets show banded appearance
  • due to atmosphere
  • we see only cloud tops
  • Rotation quite fast (hours)
  • Jupiter 10 hrs
  • Saturn 11 hrs
  • Uranus 17 hrs
  • Neptune 16 hrs

6
Clouds
  • Clouds on Jupiter Saturn
  • composed of ammonia ice (NH3)
  • different colors
  • due to differing cloud composition
  • Saturns clouds deeper less visible
  • Clouds on Uranus Neptune
  • composed of methane (CH4)
  • produces blue-green color

7
Atmospheric Structure
  • Temperature and pressure increase inward
  • Different molecules condense at different
    altitudes
  • Form cloud layers

8
Winds and Weather
  • Cloud Bands
  • alternating E-W wind patterns
  • Light zones indicate upwelling
  • Dark zones indicate sinking

convection
9
Winds and Weather
  • Storms
  • Great Red Spot on Jupiter
  • has persisted for over 400 yrs
  • Great Dark Spot on Neptune
  • seen in 1989 by Voyager
  • not seen in 1994 (by HST)

10
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11
Axial Tilt Seasons
  • Jupiter
  • only 3º axis tilt no real seasons
  • Saturn
  • 27º tilt normal seasonal variation
  • Neptune
  • 29º tilt similar to Saturn
  • Uranus
  • 98º tilt (on its side!) collision?
  • extreme seasons!
  • each 21 yrs long

Seasons on Uranus
12
Interior Composition and Structure
  • Cores rock ice
  • extreme pressure
  • Jupiter and Saturn
  • large outer layers (H, He)
  • Uranus and Neptune
  • like Jupiter, Saturn with outer layers removed
  • Much less hydrogen

13
Summary of Jovian Planets
  • Jovian planets larger, more massive than
    terrestrial
  • Composition
  • mostly hydrogen (H) and helium (He)
  • dominated by hydrogen
  • also large amounts of ices (water, ammonia,
    methane)
  • Why So Large?
  • basic reason is distance from sun
  • cooler temps allowed ices (volatiles) to freeze

14
Role of Volatiles
  • Inner solar system is hot
  • volatiles are gaseous not available for planet
    core formation
  • planet cores
  • only rock (no ice)
  • smaller, less massive (1 earth mass)
  • Outer solar system is cold
  • volatiles are solid available for planet core
    formation
  • planet cores
  • both rock and ice
  • bigger, more massive (10 earth masses)
  • Massive cores have larger gravity can capture
    gas
  • Jovian planets have massive atmospheres (lots of
    H and He)
  • Terrestrial planets have minimal atmosphere
    (little H and He)
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