1. Reviewing the Inner Planets

2. Reviewing the Inner Planets
Terrestrial planets: Have a solid, rocky surface
Revolution periods are relatively short
Are very dense
No rings and few moons
Relatively long rotation periods
Small diameter
Between the Sun and Asteroid Belt

3. The Outer Planets
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4. The Gas Giant Planets Include Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
Very large (15 to more than 300 times the mass of Earth)
Interior: Gases or liquids (might have solid inner cores)
Made primarily of very light elements (H, He, C, N, and O)
Very cold at their surfaces
Have many satellites (moons) as well as ring systems

5. JUPITER Appears bright (albedo of 0.343)
Banded appearance as a result of flow patterns in its atmosphere
Great Red Spot (400 year-old storm)
Largest planet
* Gravity assist

6. JUPITER Rings: Voyager I discovered the first ring (1979)
Galileo on a 7 year mission found two smaller rings (1990’s and 2000’s)
New Horizons confirmed one more ring (2007)
Made of dust particles

7. JUPITER
Atmosphere: It has a low density for its size. Below the liquid hydrogen is a layer of LIQUID METALLIC HYDROGEN which can only exist under very high pressure.
Moons: More than sixty. Four largest are Ganymede, Callisto, Io, and Europa. All four are composed of ice and rock.
Rotation period: 10 hours (shortest day among the planets) . Its fast rotation causes its clouds to flow rapidly forming bands of different colors.
* BELTS: low, warm, dark-colored clouds that sink
* ZONES: high, cool, light-colored clouds that rise

8. * BELTS: low, warm, dark-colored clouds that sink
* ZONES: high, cool, light-colored clouds that rise
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9. SATURN Second-largest planet Cassini –Hyugens mission (1997-2017)
Average density is lower than that of water
Rotates rapidly for its size (10 hours 14 minutes) causing a layered cloud system.

10. SATURN
Atmosphere: Mostly HYDROGEN and HELIUM with AMMONIA ICE near the cloud tops.
Internal structure probably similar to Jupiter’s

11. SATURN RINGS Much broader and brighter Composed of ice
7 major rings (made up of ringlets)
MOONS
More than sixty moons
Largest is Titan: Dense atmosphere made of nitrogen and methane. Images suggest cryovolcanic activity.

12. URANUS Seventh planet from the Sun
Four times larger than Earth, but much more massive
Its rotational axis is tipped so far that its north pole almost lies in its orbital plane
Rotation period of 17 hrs 14 min
Retrograde rotation
Coldest planet: Average T° of -224°C

13. URANUS
Atmosphere: It is mostly made of He and H. It also has methane which gives the planet its blue appearance. There are a few clouds.
Internal structure: Similar to Jupiter and Saturn’s (completely fluid except for a small, solid core)
Moons: 27 moons (Voyager 2 in 1986) ; largest Oberon and Titania
“Sweet Moon, I thank thee for thy sunny beams; I thank thee, moon, for shining now so bright.”
Rings: There are 13 known rings, the largest being the Epsilon Ring. Made mostly of dark dust.

14. Neptune
Last of the gas giant planets; about 4.5 billion km away from the Sun
Voyager 2 flew past Neptune in 1989
Similarities with Uranus
* About the same size (a bit smaller and more dense)
* Atmosphere of Helium, Hydrogen, and Methane
* Bluish color caused by methane
* Similar temperatures (Uranus slightly cooler)
* Rotation periods (Neptune 16 hrs; Uranus 17 hrs)

15. Neptune
Atmosphere: Unlike Uranus, Neptune has distinctive clouds and atmospheric belts and zones (similar to Jupiter and Saturn).
It can have persistent storms. The most recent was the Great Dark Spot (1994).
Moons: 13 moons, the largest being Triton
Rings: Six rings composed of microscopic dust particles which do not reflect light well.

16. Compare and Contrast Inner and Outer Planets