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09-Earth and Solar System-Std

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16 views11 pages

09-Earth and Solar System-Std

Uploaded by

Zee
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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A History of the Universe,

Solar System, and Planets

Chapter 1
Introduction
 Earth is a medium-sized planet circling a rather
average star among billions in the Milky Way
Galaxy—one of billions of galaxies in the universe.
 An unique planet--only Earth is known to have life
 Third planet to the Sun, Earth has just the right
distance (150 million km) from the sun—not too
hot nor too cold, with atmosphere, to support life.
Origin of the Universe - a Big Bang?
The Big Bang Theory is the dominant scientific theory
about the origin of the universe. According to the big
bang, the universe was created sometime between 10
billion and 20 billion years ago from a cosmic explosion
that hurled matter and in all directions.
In 1927, the Belgian priest Georges Lemaître was the
first to propose that the universe began with the
explosion of a primeval atom. His proposal came after
observing the red shift in distant nebulas by astronomers
to a model of the universe based on relativity. Years
later, Edwin Hubble found experimental evidence to help
justify Lemaître's theory. He found that distant galaxies in
every direction are going away from us with speeds
proportional to their distance.
The big bang was initially suggested because it
explains why distant galaxies are traveling away
from us at great speeds. The theory also predicts the
existence of cosmic background radiation (the
glow left over from the explosion itself). The Big
Bang Theory received its strongest confirmation
when this radiation was discovered in 1964 by Arno
Penzias and Robert Wilson, who later won the Nobel
Prize for this discovery.
Although the Big Bang Theory is widely accepted, it
probably will never be proved; consequentially,
leaving a number of tough, unanswered questions.
Origin of the Universe - a Big Bang?
 Fundamental phenomena indicating the Big Bang
theory
– Expanding universe – When astronomers look
beyond our own solar system, they observe
everywhere in the universe galaxies are moving
away from one another at tremendous speeds.
Calculating the rate of movement yields a time
when all matter occupied a single point -
approximately 15 billion years ago-both time and
space were set at zero
– Pervasive background radiation of 2.7° above
absolute zero (-273 °C) -- heat left over from the
Big Bang
The Solar System
Its Origin and Early Development
 Our solar system, part of the Milky Way galaxy,
consists of the Sun, nine planets, 64 known moons,
many asteroids, millions of comets and meteorites,
as well as interplanetary dust and gases
Current Theory for the Origin and Early History
of the Solar System
Solar Nebula Theory involves:
 4.6 billion years ago the Solar system started to form from
the condensation and collapse of interstellar material
-about 90% of material became
concentrated in the central
part of the disk to form a
proto-Sun around which
swirled a cloud called
the solar nebula
-localized eddies in the cloud
condensed to become
planetesimals, which collided
and grew in size and mass,
eventually became planets
A sideline note:
As of August 24, 2006, the Pluto is not
classified as a planet due to its small size.
(There has been controversial about this for
a long time). Instead it is now called a
“dwarf planet”. There may be lots of dwarf
planets.
Earth - Its Origin and Differentiation
 Earth is 4.6 billion years old. The oldest rocks, are
3.96 billion years old metamorphic rocks from Canada.
 Early Earth was probably cool, uniform composition
and density throughout. Composed mostly of silicate
compounds, iron and magnesium oxides, and small
amounts of all other chemical elements.
Earth - Its Origin and Differentiation

 Differentiation into concentric layers of different


composition and densities occurred early and was
the most significant event in Earth history
Earth - Its Origin and Differentiation
Led to formation of a iron and nickel core, lighter
silicate crust, continents, out-gassing of light
elements, and formation of the oceans and
atmosphere

– differentiation was
caused by internal heat
generated by meteorite
impact, gravitational
compression, and
radioactive decay, such
as Uranium, thorium
and others.

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