Solar System Overview: Solar System Overview Image: Lunar and Planetary Laboratory: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=178 FYI … Distance Not To Scale … By the Lunar and Planetary Institute For Use in Teacher Workshops


The Sun: The Sun At the Center (and we do go around it …..) 99.85% mass of Solar System 92% H / 8% He Source of solar wind and space weather Genesis Mission – solar wind SOHO Image:http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03149


Inner Planets: Inner Planets “Terrestrial Planets” Rocky Dense Metal cores (iron) Images: Lunar and Planetary Laboratory: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=178


Asteroids: Asteroids Image: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=2093 “Minor planets” or “planetoids” less than 1000 km across Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter Occasionally run into Earth and other planets (oops) Ida


Outer Planets: Outer Planets Large! Gases and liquids No solid surface May have a small solid core Tumultuous atmospheres - rapid winds, large storms Rotate relatively quickly Image: Lunar and Planetary Laboratory: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=178


Kuiper Belt: Kuiper Belt Disk of debris at the edge of our Solar System Pluto is a KB Object (sorry!) Source of short-period comets


Oort Cloud: Oort Cloud Sphere of widely spaced comets, dust 30 trillion km from Sun Long-period comets (random time and direction) Artist’s conception of Sedna: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (SSC-Caltech) http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2004-05/ssc2004-05b.shtml Relative position of Sedna to Kuiper Belt: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (SSC-Caltech) http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2004-05/ssc2004-05d.shtml


Slide8: Inner Planets! Image: Lunar and Planetary Laboratory: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=178


Slide9: Smallest planet (0.4 Earth diam) Closest to Sun, moves around fastest (88 days) Surface -173 to 427 ºC (-280 to 800 ºF) ? Ice Caps – no tilt of axis so poles are cold No atmosphere Mariner 3 fly-bys in 1974 and 1975 – 40% of surface mapped Mercury #1, Coffee Bean Image: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/publications/slidesets/ss_tour/slide_2.html


Slide10: What are these? How did they form? Mariner image from: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02430


Slide11: Graphic from http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=788


Slide12: Mariner image at http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02444


Slide13: Dense! 5.43 g/cc Surface is made of lighter stuff (spectrum similar to Moon) 75% iron and nickel – large core – size of moon Why so large? Magnetic field - Molten?? Remnant?? Geologically inactive by ~3.7 Billion Years Ago Mercury Image by LPI: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=168


Slide14: MESSENGER Mission to Mercury March 2011 will enter orbit Images from http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/


Slide15: NASA Image: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/photogallery-venus.html


Slide16: Venus #2, Large Blueberry Nearly the same size as Earth (.95) Slowest rotation of any planet (243 days) Spins backwards Surface temp 377 to 487 C 710 to 908 F … hotter than Mercury Cloud covered – radar observations Dry! Very thick atmosphere mostly CO2 Surface pressure is 100 times higher than Earth’s Runaway greenhouse Can see it in the night sky without a telescope! Magellan image from http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/magellan/image5.html


Where Do Atmospheres Come From?: Where Do Atmospheres Come From? Image from LPI: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/timeline/gallery/slide_33.html


Slide18: All Planets with Volcanism – Including Earth! Only Earth (As far as we know …) NOTE: Not required for life! Images from LPI: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/timeline/gallery/slide_17.html and http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/timeline/gallery/slide_47.html


Venera Images - 1982: Venera Images - 1982 Mariner 2 Fly-by in 1962; 20 “visits” since, including Venera landers and Magellan Orbiter Image: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/publications/slidesets/ss_tour/slide_5.html


Slide20: Sapas Mons – 1.5 km (0.9 mi) high, 400 km (248 mi) across Atla Regio Volcanic flood plains cover 85% of surface 1100 volcanic centers identified Magellan image at http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/magellan/image28.html


Slide21: Maat Mons – 8 km (5 mi) high, Aphrodite Terra Region NASA Image: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/photogallery-venus.html


Slide22: Alpha Regio—Pancake Domes NASA Image from LPI: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/publications/slidesets/venus/slide_24.html


Slide23: What’s missing on Venus? Few impact craters – what does this tell us? No craters less than 3 km (meteoroid ~ 30 m across) Atmospheric filter


Slide24: No interior data, density similar to earth; so probably a core Surface 300-500 million years old Few, random craters, sharp edges Basalts No magnetic field; solid core Probably geologically active – convection in mantle Image from LPI: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=168


Slide25: Earth #3, Cherry 7900 mile (12756 km) diameter 23 degree axis tilt (seasons!) Surface temps –73 to 48 C (-100 to 120F) Thick atmosphere, mild greenhouse effect Liquid water – lots! - at surface Can see it without a telescope!


Slide26: Geologically active? Core, mantle, crust Magnetic field? Image from LPI: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=168


Who Cares About a Magnetic Field?: Who Cares About a Magnetic Field? We do! National Geophysical Data Center, Artist: E. Endo http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/geomag/icons/solarexp.jpg


Slide28: 6794 km diameter (4,220 miles) – about ½ of Earth’s 25 degree axis tilt (seasons!) Rotates once every ~24 hours and orbits the Sun once every 687 days Very cold -83 to -33 C (-117 to -27 F) Thin atmosphere, 95% CO2, & 3% N No liquid water at surface; ice in poles and regolith? Two small moons - Phobos (Fear) and Deimos (Terror) Mars #4, Pea Can see it in the night sky without a telescope! NASA image from http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=205 0


Slide29: Surface gravity: 38% About like Mercury’s, because of Mars’ low density Core Crust – thick – supports huge volcanoes No magnetic field – had one because meteorites do; solid core? Meteorites – 180 million year old basalts Mars Image from LPI: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=168


Slide30: Image available at http://www.lpi.usra.edu/science/treiman/greatdesert/workshop/marsmaps1/


Slide31: Western edge of Tharsis Region Tharsis Bulge: 2,500 miles across 6 miles high MGS images at: http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/6_10_99_tharsis/


Dune Fields, Wind Streaks, Dust Storms: Dune Fields, Wind Streaks, Dust Storms Hubble image of Mars at http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20070108a.html MGS image at http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/sanddunes/20020418b.html MGS image at http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/11/03/


Slide33: Water ice and dust CO2 layer – winter Caps expand and contract during seasonal changes MGS image of ice cap: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/polaricecaps/PIA02393.html Viking image at http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/imgcat/html/object_page/vl2_p21873.html Viking Image at http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00407


Slide34: 10 km M-01 Liquid Water in the Past? Viking image from: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/publications/slidesets/redplanet2/slide_26.html


Slide35: Past Oceans on Mars? Current thinking – Water = yes Possibly lots of water ~3.5 – 4 billion years ago … acidic, salty …. Image: LPI http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/timeline/gallery/slide_19.html


Slide36: Artwork from http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/artwork/emerging_br.html


The Gas Giants: The Gas Giants Image: Lunar and Planetary Laboratory: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=178


Slide38: Small rocky cores – hot? cold? Mostly hydrogen and helium Where’s the surface? LPI Image, from: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=166


Slide39: Image at http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02873 89,000 miles (143,000 km) diameter – 11x Earth 2x mass of all other planets combined (318 x Earth); 100 pounds on Earth = 254 on Jupiter 90% H and 10% He (75/25% by mass) Methane, water, ammonia, rock Rocky core – liquid metallic hydrogen – electrical conductor, generates magnetic field Similar to Solar Nebula Jupiter #5, Small Cantaloupe


Slide40: Image at http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02873 Cloud-tops average = -153°C = -244°F. 10 hour rotation / 12 year orbit Fly-bys: Pioneer 10, 11, Voyager 1, 2, Ulysses (2/04), Cassini Orbiter: Galileo – 8 years (recently “visited” the planet), Probe Jupiter Can see it in the night sky without a telescope!


Slide41: Image from http://pds-rings.seti.org/jupiter/galileo/PIA00657.html Galileo – 1610 – Four “Galilean” Moons of Jupiter (Io behind Jupiter) 63 moons … and counting Rings! Rocky particles, no ice Jupiter Moons Image from http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=2099


Slide42: Giant Red Spot – at least 300 years old 3 x size of Earth Winds up to 400 km / hr “Jr” Storms on Jupiter Hubble images of Great Red Spot at http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/solar%20system/jupiter/1999/29/image/a/results/20/


Aurora: Aurora Hubble image from http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=1866


Slide44: Electrically Charged Atmosphere - Lightening Flashes Galileo image from http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01118


Slide45: NASA Gallileo Image at: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/publications/slidesets/ss_tour/slide_23.html Io


Slide46: NASA Galileo image at: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02584 Io


Slide47: NASA Galileo image at: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/publications/slidesets/ss_tour/slide_24.html Europa


Slide48: Europa Galileo Image at http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03878


Ganymede: Ganymede largest moon in Solar System; bigger than Mercury rock, with bright (younger) patches and dark (older) patches older regions may be 4 billion years old has tectonics with ice crust may have salty ocean beneath ice crust Image from http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=2285


Callisto: Callisto large like Ganymede but heavily cratered and dark mostly made of ice and rock, without a real core craters are “mushy”; not eroded exactly... strong new evidence of salty ocean underneath an ice crust Image from http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03456


Slide51: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image-details.cfm?imageID=849 9x the size of Earth 75% hydrogen and 25% helium Water, methane, ammonia and "rock“ Rocky core Winds up to 500 m / second -290 F Rings – 185,00 miles wide / /2 mi thick Water ice in rings 56 moons and counting 11 hour rotation / 29 year orbit Pioneer / Voyager Fly-by / Cassini/Huygens! Saturn #6, Large Orange


Slide52: Can see it in the night sky without a telescope! Cassini image at: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=1383


Slide53: False Color Rather chilly in the rings Red: -261 F Blue -333 F Green -298 F Image from: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image-details.cfm?path= ../multimedia/images/rings/images/PIA06425.jpg&type=image Dirty Snow Turquoise= water ice Red = “dirty” http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image-details.cfm?imageID=846


Slide54: Cassini image at http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image-details.cfm?path=../multimedia/images/saturn/images/PIA05386.jpg&type=image


Slide55: Titan! Clues to Early Earth? Cassini image from: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image-details.cfm?imageID=1179


TitanClues to Early Earth?: Titan Clues to Early Earth? Average surface temperature –179C Atmosphere of N (>90%), CH4, Ar Hydrocarbon-rich rivers/seas (ethane – C2H6) Water ice Atmosphere 1.5 x Earth Cassini image at http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=2783 Voyager image at http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01532


Slide57: Image credit: Craig Attebery http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=3963


Slide58: Huygens image from: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07231


Slide59: Huygens images from: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07236 And http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07238


Slide60: Huygens image at : http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07232


Cratered Worlds: Cratered Worlds Mimas Phoebe Cassini images from: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA06582 And http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=3823


Dione from Cassini: Dione from Cassini Dione Cassini image from: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA06162


Enceladus: Enceladus Cassini image from: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA06254


Enceladus from Cassini: Enceladus from Cassini Enceladus Cassini images from: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA06191


Geysers of water jet from surface of Enceladus: Geysers of water jet from surface of Enceladus Cassini images from: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07758 and http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image-details.cfm?imageID=2071


Slide66: Iapetus Cassini image from: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA06166


Slide67: Hubble image at http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2006/47/image/b/ Uranus # 7, Kiwi First planet discovered with a telescope!


Slide68: Images from http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01360 Uranus 4x the size of Earth 15% H, little helium – mostly ices Uniform through out; no rocky core Blue from methane absorption of red light (atmosphere) atmosphere has mostly hydrogen and helium 11 rings, 27 satellites -350 F at surface 18 hour rotation, 84 year orbit Spins on an axis inclined almost 90 degrees Voyager fly-by


Slide69: Voyager 2 Image from: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01977 Uranus Hubble Image from: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01280 Hubble Image from: http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/solar%20system/uranus/1998/35/image/a/results/20/


Slide70: Image from: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02245 Neptune #8, Apricot or nectarine


Slide71: Image from http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02223 Neptune Ices and rock - 15% H and little He H, He, methane atmosphere (blue!) Uniform through out; small rocky core? Had storm “Great Dark Spot” MIA since Voyager 2 Pretty Good White Spot (Scooter) zipped around every 16 hours…. 4 Rings – unknown composition 13 moons 18 hour rotation / 165 year orbit Voyager (1989)


Triton: Triton Ice volcanos-- geysers Thin atmosphere (nitrogen, methane) Ridges and valleys, melting Image: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02214 Image: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01538


PlutoGrain of Rice: Pluto Grain of Rice Image from http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/solar%20system/2006/29/image/a/format/web/


Pluto: Pluto Diameter - 1,413 miles (2274 km) - 2/3 size of Earth’s Moon Rotation: 6 1/3 days Orbit: 248 years highly elliptical Sometimes is inside Neptune’s orbit (20 yrs) Light from Sun takes 5.5 hours to reach it Surface of water and methane ice, frozen nitrogen When closer to the Sun, heat produces an atmosphere


Slide75: Illustration from http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/2005/19/image/d


Is Pluto a Planet?: Is Pluto a Planet? Orbits a star Round Not a star or a moon “Cleared Out” its orbit What Makes a Planet a Planet?


Is Pluto a Planet?: Is Pluto a Planet? Image based on NASA images, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:EightTNOs.png


New HorizonsPluto-Kuiper Belt Mission: New Horizons Pluto-Kuiper Belt Mission January 2006 Launch! July 2015 – Pluto! 2016-2020 – Kuiper Belt Image from http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/gallery/artistConcepts/artistConcepts_06.html


Comets: Comets Dirty snowballs - small objects of ice, gas, dust, tiny traces of organic material Image from: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000805.html


Comet Parts: Comet Parts Image from http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2004/52/image/a/ Nucleus, Coma Dust tail – white, “smoke,” reflects sun. 600,000 to 6 million miles long Ion tail – Solar UV breaks down CO gas, making them glow blue. 10’s of millions of miles Image credit: K. Jobse, P. Jenniskens and NASA Ames Research Center http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=903


Comet – Planet Interactions: Comet – Planet Interactions Image from http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/sl9/image3.html


Our Solar System: Our Solar System Photo montage from: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=2167