Scribd
Upload
8 views28 pages

Solar System Properties and Current Information

The document summarizes key properties and information about our solar system. It describes the regular orbital patterns observed, including planets orbiting in the same plane and direction. It also discusses Bode's Law relating planetary distances. Terrestrial and jovian planets are compared, and the formation processes of each are outlined. Details are provided on individual planets from Mercury to Neptune, as well as dwarf planets and other celestial bodies in our solar system.

Uploaded by

Andrie Pelario
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
8 views28 pages

Solar System Properties and Current Information

The document summarizes key properties and information about our solar system. It describes the regular orbital patterns observed, including planets orbiting in the same plane and direction. It also discusses Bode's Law relating planetary distances. Terrestrial and jovian planets are compared, and the formation processes of each are outlined. Details are provided on individual planets from Mercury to Neptune, as well as dwarf planets and other celestial bodies in our solar system.

Uploaded by

Andrie Pelario
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 28

Solar System: Properties and Current Information

Observed Regularities of the solar system:


1. The orbits of all the planets are almost in the same plane.
This means that the solar system is flat.
2. The planetary orbits are nearly circular.
3. All planets revolve around the sun in counterclockwise
direction.
4. The distances of the planets from the sun established a regular
pattern defined by a factor of 2 as calculated by Bode’s Law
(Johann Bode, German astronomer).
5. The satellite systems of Jupiter and Saturn are nearly identical in
their arrangements with the solar system. The distances of the
satellites from the planets follow Bode’s Law.
Jupiter’s 67 satellites
6. The solar system also contains asteroids and
comets.
planets
- large celestial bodies which revolve around the sun in
nearly circular paths called orbits.
- shine because they reflect the light of the sun which falls
on them. The easiest way to distinguish planets from the
stars in the night sky is that the stars twinkle at night but
the planets do not twinkle at night.
- move around the sun from west to east, so the relative
positions of the planets in the night sky keep changing day
by day.
- very small as compared to the sun or other stars.
terrestrial and jovian planets
1. While the terrestrial planets are made of solid surfaces, the jovian planets are made of
gaseous surfaces.
2. When comparing the size, the jovian planets are much larger than the terrestrial
planets.
3. While the atmosphere of terrestrial planets is composed mainly of carbon dioxide and
nitrogen, hydrogen and helium are found in abundance in the atmosphere of jovian
planets.
4. The core of the jovian planets is more dense than the terrestrial planets.
5. The jovian planets are far away from the sun.
6. The terrestrial planets spin less, and are therefore less flattened at the poles.
7. The jovian planets have more moons when compared to terrestrial ones.

Read more:
Difference Between Terrestrial and Jovian planets | Difference Between | Terrestrial vs Jovian planets
http://www.differencebetween.net/science/difference-between-terrestrial-and-jovian-planets/#ixzz4DmgS
1VO3
Formation of terrestrial planet
rock and metals condense rocky particles clump clumps accrete

clumps form planetisimals

planetisimals accrete more

terrestrial planets form


Formation of jovian planet
Gases condense to form icy icy particles clump clumps accrete
particles

clumps form planetisimals

planetisimals accrete more

jovian planets form


mercury
– Roman god Mercury (Greek
Hermes), messenger god
- has a rocky surface which is
covered with craters
- sometimes visible from
earth, just after sunrise or
sunset. When mercury is
visible just before sunrise in
the morning, it is called
“Morning star” and when it is
visible just after sunset,
then it is called “Evening
star”
venus
- Roman goddess Venus (Greek
Aphrodite), goddess of love and beauty
- hottest planet because it gets heated
excessively by the trapping of the sun’s
heat rays by carbon dioxide gas present
in its atmosphere which is also called
green house effect (maximum
temperature of 480°C)
- a rocky planet
- has a dense atmosphere which consists
almost entirely of carbon dioxide gas,
making it as an excellent reflector of
sunlight. This makes it the brightest
object in the night sky (except the moon).
earth
-named from Anglo-Saxon word ‘erda’
and it’s germanic equivalent ‘erde’ which
means ground or soil. In Old English, the
word became ‘eor(th)e’ or ‘ertha
-appears to be a blue and green ball due
to the reflection of sunlight from water and
land on its surface when viewed from the
outer space.
-has an atmosphere with gases like
nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, noble
gases ,water vapor and some ozone
-only planet that supports life
mars
- Roman god Mars (Greek Ares),
god of war
- red planet (caused by the
presence of hydrated iron oxide
compound)
- has a thin atmosphere as
compared to the Earth
composed mainly of carbon
dioxide with small amounts of
nitrogen, oxygen, noble gases
and water vapor.
jupiter
- Roman god of sky and
thunder and king of the gods
- the biggest planet of the
solar system (gas giant)
- gas giant (made mainly of
hydrogen and helium gases
with methane and ammonia
in its atmosphere and liquid
hydrogen on its surface
saturn

- Roman god of agriculture


- another gas giant
- best known for its planetary
rings that makes it visually
unique
- has a pale yellow hue due
to ammonia crystals in its upper
atmosphere
uranus

- primal
Greek god personifying
the sky
- ice giant
- has a ring system,
a magnetosphere, and
numerous moons
neptune
- god of freshwater and the sea
- another ice giant
- similar in composition to Uranus,
and both have compositions that
differ from those of the larger gas
giants, Jupiter and Saturn.
Traces of methane in the
outermost regions in part account
for the planet's blue appearance
Dwarf planets
- celestial bodies resembling small planets but lacking certain
technical criteria that are required for it to be classed as such.
Characteristics of dwarf planets:

• Is in orbit around the sun


• Has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to
overcome rigid body forces so that it
assumes a nearly-round shape
• Has not cleared the neighborhood around it
• Is not a satellite
Other celestial bodies:
1. Asteroids – made up of rocks and are sometimes referred as minor
planets
2. Comets – composed mainly of ice (frozen water and gas) and
nonvolatile dust
3. Stars - luminous sphere of plasma held together by its own gravity

You might also like