1. The Exosphere…or to quote STAR TREK
“Space...The final frontier.”
How do we know about Space? •
Telescopes -
Visual light
non-visible spectrum
Earth & Space based •
Spacecraft -
Manned … …
e.g. Mercury, Gemini, Apollo
e.g. Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Shuttles -
Unmanned – satellites and probes - … …
e.g. Mariner, Viking, Voyager, Galileo, Pioneer,
Surveyor, Cassini, Messenger, New Horizons, Juno • •
Extraterrestrial "stuff"
Extraterrestrial "stuff" - -
Meteorites, Moon rocks, etc.
Meteorites, Moon rocks, dust, etc.

2. Which statement about space is not accurate?
Galaxies are larger than solar systems
The universe is expanding
The Sun is a star
Chemical elements like Iron (Fe) are made in the core of stars
All of the planets in our solar system are made of rocks like Earth

3. 1) Universe consists of everything we know
Hierarchy of Scale
1) Universe consists of everything we know
2) Galaxies are large groups of stars, dust,
and chemical elements
3) Nebulae are clouds of dust and debris that form stars and star systems
4) Solar systems or star systems are a group of planets shepherded by stars 4 3 2 1

4. Origins of the Universe
The Big Bang Theory - •
approx billion years ago •
An area of space smaller than the smallest
atom contained all the matter and energy that
would later become the Universe.
At the "Big Bang", rapid expansion occurs, time
“starts”, the differentiation of the four basic
forces responsible for all interactions of matter
form in the first instant of time.
i.e., strong atomic force, electromagnetic force,
weak atomic force & gravity •

5. Evidence for the Big Bang
1. Expanding Universe: galaxies appear to be
retreating from each other at extreme velocities
Doppler
red/blue
shift
2. Background Radiation Noise: a background
radiation of 2.7 degrees above absolute zero
with a radio signal like a hiss has been detected
and interpreted as the after effect of the
Big Bang.

6. Hourglass Nebula
Eagle Nebula
Southern Ring Nebula
Nebula often form from the death of stars (supernovae) and become the nursery for new stars to be born

7. The Solar System The Sun is one average-sized star in the
Milky Way Galaxy. The sun is the gravitational anchor of our solar system.
Our Solar System consists of:
>
1 star (the sun)
>
8 planets,
-Pluto is now one of a dozen or so objects referred to as dwarf planets
>
~ 176+ known moons
>
thousands of asteroids, comets, and
interplanetary dust and gas.

8. Formation of the Solar System
Solar nebula theory

9. Our Star-the Sun
A nuclear fusion reactor; uses gravity to smash atoms of H into He and heavier elements (up to Fe); It rotates- differentially; sunspots and many other disturbances in solar output

10. Orbits and Rotation •
Except for Pluto, all orbits lie within the ecliptic plane. •
Except for Venus and Uranus, all planets rotate counterclockwise.

11. Which statement about the solar system is not accurate?
The planets orbit the Sun
Only Earth has an atmosphere
Outer planets are larger & more massive, but less dense than inner
The Sun’s gravitational pull affects all the planets
The planets orbit around the Sun in the same direction

12. The Terrestrial Planets The Terrestrial Planets
Mercury
Mercury
>
>
smallest
smallest & fastest year (88 days)
>
>
closest to sun
closest to sun
>
no moons
>
>
>
large magnetic field
Venus
Venus
>
>
similar in size to Earth
similar in size to Earth
>
>
thick cloudy atmosphere
>
>
no moons
>
>
spins backward on axis
>
>
day is longer than year
Earth
Earth
>
>
3rd from the sun
3rd from the sun
>
>
only with liquid H2O
only with liquid H2O
>
one moon
Mars
Mars
>
>
1/2 the size of Earth
>
>
Thin CO2 atmosphere
>
two very small moons
Earth from Apollo 17

13. <--Mercury
Venus--->
False color image
<---Mars

14. Mars Movie

15. Origin of the Moon • • Early in the history of our Solar System
~6 to 4.5 billion years ago
Proto-Earth struck by large planetary body
perhaps a large asteroid glanced off the Earth
large blob of molten material and debris from
the collision coalesced into the Moon
Moon lacks evidence of Plate tectonics or the
internal structure typically associated with
an active planet.
Other moons on other planets may have formed
much differently than ours
captured pieces of interstellar dirt • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

16. Moon Phases- the lunar cycle• •
referred to as
referred to as - -
waxing = growing or becoming more light
waxing = growing or becoming more light
waning = shrinking or becoming more dark • •
A result of sunlight reflected off of the surface of the Moon • •
also related to our position with respect to the Moon/Sun
Waxing moon phases • •
new
New • •
Crescent • •
Quarter • •
gibbous
Gibbous • •
full
Full
Waning moon phases •

19. Which of the statements about the moon is not accurate?
The moon has “less” gravity due to its smaller size
The moon has many impact craters because it is hit by meteors more frequently than Earth
The moon is in orbit around the Earth
The moon is made of rocks just like those found on Earth
The moon began orbiting when Earth was struck by a large object early in the solar system’s history

20. The Jovian or Gas Giant Planets sometimes referred to as Ice Giants
Jupiter
Jupiter
>
>
Largest planet
>
>
Storms (RED SPOT)
>
>
Faint rings
>
>
Many moons (67 at last count) - -
some are large and interesting!
Saturn
Saturn
Second largest planet
>
>
>
>
Rings!
Many moons (62 at last count)
>
>
Uranus
Uranus
>
>
Faint rings
>
>
Tilted sideways
>
>
a lot of moons too (27)
Neptune
Neptune
Storms (Dark Spot)
>
>
Moons (13 moons)
>
>

21. Jupiter rotating with the Great Red Spot

22. Saturn with 3 moons- Voyager 2
Saturn close-up, Cassini

23. Neptune
visible
Uranus –visible light
Uranus – False color enhnaced

24. Pluto
As seen from New Horizon satellite probe

25. Which of these planets isn’t similar to the others in its composition?
Neptune
Venus
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus

26. Planetesimals and Asteroids
Planetesimals are collections of matter that condense and collide with each other to form planets.
>
Earth-sized planet forms in a about 1 million years.
>
Early history of the Solar System was a period
of common collisions.
Asteroids in the belt between Mars and Jupiter have formed planetesimals, but Jupiter's gravity prevents the material from accreting into planets, and has likely contributed to the distribution of the various groups.

27. Kuiper Belt
A large area beyond the orbit of Neptune
Has many icy bodies that are hypothesized to be the origins for short period comets and “dwarf” Planetary bodies
Oort Cloud contains the Kuiper belt on the fringes of our solar system. Has many icy bodies that are hypothesized to be the origins for Longer period comets…

28. Comets commonly have 2 tails, with one caused by moving really fast and leaving a trail of stuff, much like smoke coming from a smoke bomb that was thrown, and the other acting like a wind sock blowing in the solar wind.
True
False

29. Comets
Comets
bodies of loosely aggregated ice and solid matter, in orbit
around the sun.
>
They are periodically dislodged from their locations
near Uranus and Neptune.
>
commonly have two tails, one a stream of vapor and
debris that’s along the trajectory path, the other
made of glowing ions that points away from the sun.
tail 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 2 3
Sun 4
Comet path;
Debris tail 5 6 7 8 9

30. ion tail
debris tail
Both tails are illuminated by sunlight as it gets closer to the Sun

31. Meteorites Any Asteroid that strikes the Earth is called a Meteorite.•
>
Interpreted as pieces of matter that originated
over 7-10 billion years ago.
Three classes of meteorites:
Stones (93%)
Irons (6%)
Stony-irons (1%)

32. The Peekskill fireball as described in the text at the beginning of Chapter 3

33. The Tunguska Event The Tunguska Event On June 30, 1908 something is
On June 30, 1908 a comet is
The Tunguska Event
The Tunguska Event
believed to have exploded over
believed to have exploded over
northwest and central Siberia.
northwest and central Siberia.

34. Chelyabinsk meteorite
February 15, 2013

35. Tunguska Event
The explosion occurred 8 km above the surface, released 12.5 megatons of energy, and leveled more than 1,000 km2 of forest.
Circa 1930
Computer models ruled out a comet or iron meteorite, making a stony meteorite (an asteroid passing through
earth’s atmosphere) the likely suspect.
Today

36. Roter Kamm Crater, Namibia
Manicouagan Crater, Quebec