1. ~Solar System~
Kelly Huson
EDU-370

2. Inner Solar System
Terrestrial or Rocky Planets

3. Outer Solar System
Gas Planets

4. ‘Origin’ of the Solar System
Gas/Dust cloud collapses and compresses in center
Forming star with orbiting gas that forms an accretion disk
First Break Point
Gas cools off and particles form
Run away growth
Second Break Point
“Planetesimals”
Current Solar System

5. Sizes

6. Sun

7. Mercury
Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and the eighth largest.
Its orbit is highly eccentric
It is the only body in the solar system known to have an orbital/rotational resonance with a ratio other than 1:1
Temperature variations are the most extreme in the solar system ranging from 90 K to 700 K.
Mercury is the second densest major body after Earth
It has a very thin atmosphere consisting of atoms blasted off its surface by the solar wind.

8. Venus Venus' rotation is very slow and retrograde
Earth’s sister planet, their densities and chemical compositions are similar
Venus is only slightly smaller than Earth, 95% of Earth's diameter & 80% of Earth's mass
It is composed mostly of carbon dioxide with thick layers of clouds composed of sulfuric acid.
This dense atmosphere produces the Greenhouse Effect
Actually hotter than Mercury
High Volcanic Activity

9. Earth

10. Mars Called the Red planet Orbit very elliptical Seventh Largest
Same surface area as Earth, but overall much smaller
Varied terrain-between north & south hemispheres
No lateral plate motion
Very thin atmosphere
Early in its history it was much like Earth

11. Jupiter 5th Planet, Largest Gas planet: 90% H % 10% He
3 distinct layers of clouds
High velocity winds
Radiates more energy than receives from the sun
Huge Magnetic Field
Has rings-continually resupplied
63 know satellites

12. Saturn 6th Planet, 2nd Largest Planet Least dense of the planets
Gas planet - 75%H and 25%He
Radiates more energy than receives from sun
Thin rings composed of small particles & ice
Significant magnetic field
34 named satellites

13. Uranus 7th Planet , 3rd Largest
First planet discovered in modern times
Axis almost parallel to the ecliptic
Poles are in unusual location
Composed of rock and various ices
Bands of rapidly moving faint clouds
Blue in color
Has 11 rings
Has 27 moons

14. Neptune 8th sometimes 9th Planet due to eccentric orbit
Similar composition to Uranus
Gas planet with rapid winds fastest in solar system
Has 4 rings
Oddly oriented magnetic field
Has 26 known moons

15. Pluto Usually furthest from Sun
Smallest Planet, smaller than some moons
Only planet not visited
Discovered on accident
Has satellite - Charon
Highly eccentric orbit with 3:2 resonance with Neptune
Equator almost at right angle with orbit (like Uranus)
Little known about atmosphere