The Solar System

1
The Solar System
2
The Solar System

• According to Aug 24, 06 Resolution the Solar
  System is composed of
• Eight planets with their moons
• Three dwarf planets with their moons
• Small Solar System bodies

3

• The major features of the Solar System are
• The Sun
• Terrestrial (inner) Planets
• Inner Belt of Asteroids
• Gas Giant (outer) Planets
• Outer Belt of Small Bodies (Kuiper Belt)

4
Heliocentric System

• Nicolaus Copernicus developed a sun-centered
  system called a heliocentric system.
• The Earth and the other planets revolve around
  the sun.

5
(No Transcript)
6

• Galileo was the first scientist to use a
  telescope to look at objects in the sky, which
  supported Copernicuss theory.

7

• Johannes Kepler, a German mathematician,
  discovered that the orbit of each planet is an
  ellipse.

8

• Isaac Newton concluded that two factors- inertia
  and gravity - combine to keep the planets in
  orbit.

9
The Sun

• The Sun (Sol) contains 99.8 of the Solar
  Systems known mass.

10

• The Sun dominates the Solar System
  gravitationally.

11

• The Sun consists of 70 hydrogen, 28 helium, and
  2 metals. Its energy is sustained

by nuclear fusion reactions, converting
hydrogen into helium and energy.
12

• The Sun releases enormous amounts of energy. Most
  is sent into space as radiation, including
  visible light.

13

• The Sun radiates a plasma known as solar wind.

14
Definition of Planet

• A planet is a celestial body that
• is in orbit around the Sun
• has sufficient mass for self-gravity so it
  assumes a nearly round shape and
• has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit.
• Final International Astronomical Union
  Resolution, Aug 24 06

15
The Inner Planets

• The four inner or terrestrial planets are dense,
  rocky, have few or no moons, and lack ring
  systems.

16
Mercury

• Closest planet to the Sun and least massive of
  the planets. It has a very thin atmosphere and
  has no natural satellite.

17
Venus

• Its atmosphere is 90 times as dense as Earths
  and composed of carbon dioxide. It has no natural
  satellite and is the hottest planet.

18
Earth

• Largest and densest of the inner planets. Only
  inner planet with evidence of geological activity
  and liquid hydrosphere. Has one satellite, the
  Moon.

19
Mars

• Less massive than Earth or Venus. Has a carbon
  dioxide atmosphere. Its surface contains
  volcanoes and rift valleys. Has two satellites
  Deimos and Phobos.

20
The Inner Belt

• Made of mostly small solar system bodies of rocky
  minerals. Occupies the orbit between Mars and
  Jupiter.

21
(No Transcript)
22
Asteroids

• Small solar system bodies found mainly in the
  Asteroid Belt with elliptical orbits between Mars
  and Jupiter.

23
Meteoroid

• Smaller than asteroids. A meteor is a meteoroid
  that has entered the Earths atmosphere. A meteor
  that survives impact is called a meteorite.
  Meteors can produce impact craters.

24
Ceres

• Largest body in the asteroid belt and only known
  dwarf planet in this region. It is spherical and
  contains a third of the belts total mass.

25
The Outer Planets

• The four outer planets or gas giants together
  make up 99 of the mass known to orbit the Sun.

26
The Outer Planets

• All four of the gas giants have orbital debris
  rings. Only Saturns rings are observable from
  Earth.

27
Jupiter

• Is at 318 Earth masses. Composed of hydrogen and
  helium. Has large cloud bands and the Great Red
  Spot. It has 63 satellites, the largest is
  Ganymede.

28
Saturn

• Has an extensive ring system. Also composed of
  hydrogen and helium. Has 56 satellites and
  largely made of ice. Titan is larger than Mercury.

29
Uranus

• The lightest of the outer planets. It orbits the
  Sun on its side (axis is 97o to the ecliptic).
  Radiates very little heat. Has 27 satellites.

30
Neptune

• Smaller than Uranus but is denser and more
  massive. Radiates more heat than Uranus. Has 13
  moons the largest Triton revolves clockwise
  around Neptune.

31
The Kuiper Belt

• A great ring of debris, similar to the asteroid
  belt. Composed mainly of icy small solar system
  bodies. Often called the outer solar system or
  trans-Neptunian region.

32

• The Kuiper Belt is possibly the place of origin
  for short term comets, such as Halleys comet.
  Some objects are affected by Neptunes orbit.

33
(No Transcript)
34
Comets

• Small solar system bodies composed largely of
  ice. When a comet approaches the Sun the surface
  boils away creating a coma (tail of gas and dust).

35
Pluto

• The largest known object in Kuiper Belt.
  Reclassified as a dwarf planet. Charon orbits
  Pluto more like a binary system. Nix and Hydra
  orbit Pluto and Charon.

36
Eris

• Largest known scattered disk object (overlaps the
  Kuiper Belt). 5 larger than Pluto. The largest
  known dwarf planet. Has one moon, Dysnomia.

37
The Solar System