Solar System
Order of the planets
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Mars
-Little smaller than Earth
-at limit of goldi-lock zone
-had liquid water
-frozen water at poles
-Roman god of war
-Terran
What is a satellite?
An space object that orbits a larger body
Why do scientists study the movement of asteroids?
Because of the threat they pose to Earth
Sun
-About 4.6 billion years old
-Yellow dwarf star (will die into a white dwarf)
-Reference point for other stars
-Could fit 1.3 million Earths
To be considered a planet:
1. Object must be in orbit around the Sun
2. Must be massive enough to be a sphere (hydrostatic equilibrium) by its own gravitational force
3. Must have cleared the neighborhood around its orbit
Jupiter
-largest planet
-Earth’s shield, intercepts objects (asteroids/meteorites) that are heading towards the Sun
-97 satellites
-Makes its own radiation
-1321 Earths could fit inside
-Roman god of thunder
-Gas giant
How many times have people walked on the moon?
12 people over 6 trips
Extracting valuable resources from asteroids
Sun pt. 2
-in its main phase sequence where it “burns” hydrogen
-Experiences two major forces
inward pull of gravity
Outward push of fusion
The star will not grow anymore when they are equal
Mercury Info
-Smallest planet in solar system
-Extreme change in temperature (sun side 450c dark side -273c)
-Terran (rock)
-Roman messenger god
Saturn
-Ring made of ice and water
-Less dense than water (would float in an ocean)
-Roman god of agriculture
-Gas giant
What are asteroids?
Rocky, airless remnants from the solar system’s formation
Meteoroids: small chunks of rock/iron in space
Meteors: a meteor in the Earth’s atmosphere, burning and making a streak of light
Meteorites: fragments of meteoroids that survive Earth‘s atmosphere and make it to the surface
How long does it take for Earth to revolve around the Sun and rotate on its axis? (And how do we make up for it?)
It revolves in just OVER 365 days
It rotates in just UNDER 24 hours
We make up for this with daylight savings
Venus Info
-Little smaller than Earth
-In the goldi-lock zone but no life
-Atmosphere made of acids that burn skin
-Pressure of atmosphere is 92x Earth
-Roman god of love
-Terran (rock)
Uranus
-Weird colour
-Axis of rotation is vertical instead of horizontal
-Oddly, equator farthest from the sun is hottest
-Has an elliptical orbit around the sun because of Neptune
-Gas giant
Where is our solar system’s asteroid belt located?
In between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
Why don’t most meteoroids become meteorites?
Because they melt before reaching Earth’s surface
What causes the seasons on Earth?
The Earth‘s 23.5 degree tilt causes some areas to be closer to the Sun at different points of its revolution
Earth
-In goldi-lock zone
-Liquid water (a smaller planet would have less gravity to keep water on surface, a larger planet would pull its water towards the core)
-23.5 degree axis of rotation (causes seasons)
-Terran (rock)
Neptune
-Weird colour
-It was hyper theorized before it was actually seen because of Uranus’ orbit
-Gas giant
Why did the asteroid belt form?
Jupiter’s gravity prevented the asteroids from forming a planet
What is a comet and why does it only glow sometimes during its orbit?
A comet is a large body of dust and ice orbiting the Sun. It only glows when it gets close to the Sun, absorbing the heat and radiation
Which planets are made of Terran and which are gas giants?
Gas giant: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune