AN EDUCATIONAL TOUR

THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Major Members:SunPlanetsMoon

Minor Members:AsteroidsMeteoroidsComets

THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Great Ball of Fire

THE SUN

THE SUNOnly star in the

solar system

About 150 million km away Nearest star to the

Earth

Middle-sized yellow star

THE SUNDiameter : 1392000 km

Volume: could take in a million earths with room to spare

Rotates once every 25 days at the equator and once every 33 days at the poles

Huge ball of gas (H2 and He)

Inner Core Temperature 15000000°C

Nuclear Fission Mass lost from the

reaction is converted to thermal and radiant

energy

Sun converts 4 million tons of matter into energy per second

Helium gases cannot escape into space because of the pressure of

overlying layers of gases

Only radiant energy, largely in the form of x-rays, can pass through

these layers of gases

Radiative ZoneLayer where the energy radiates

through the layers of gases

Extends about 90% of the sun’s

radius

Takes about 10 million years for energy to pass

through this zone

Radiant energy released from the core is absorbed and converted to thermal energy in

the convective zone

The great amount of energy of radiant and thermal energy

absorbed by the convective

envelope heats the gases, causing them to rise,

become turbulent, and create

disturbances on the outer part called the photosphere

Corona

Outermost part of the sun

Seen as an envelope of white light around the

sun during a total solar eclipse

Temperature is about

1 to 2 million °C

Chromosphere

Appears colored during a solar eclipse

Extends to a height of about 5000 km from

the sun’s surface

Temperature increases with its altitude, from

3700 °C at lower altitudes to about

49700 °C at the upper regions where it merges with the

corona

Photosphere

Below the Chromosphere

Only visible part of the sun

Temperature of about 6000 °C

Most of the sun’s activity starts in the

photosphere

Principal source of sun’s radiation

THE SUNGranules

Bright and dark spots on the surface of the sun

Actually bubbles of hot gases hundred of kilometers in diameter

Main source of radiation

Solar ProminencesBig eruptions on the surface of the sunOften referred to as fiery fountainsLikened to the explosion of 100000

hydrogen bombs

THE SUN

SpiculeUsually a small but sharp eruption

which lasts for about 15 minutes to 1 hour

THE SUN

THE SUNSolar Flare

A spicule lying flat and with a bigger and longer stem

Usually occurs near a sunspot

THE SUNSunspot

Region on the surface of the sun which is darker because it is several thousand degrees cooler than its surroundings

Temperature is lower (about 537.7 °C) than around the spot (about 6093.3 °C)

Huge magnetic storms which develop in the sun’s interior and erupt on the surface

Have some effect on the earth

Greek word “Planetai” meaning “Wandering Star”

THE PLANETS

A celestial body that is in orbit around the sun that has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium shape.

THE PLANETS

My Very Elegant Mother Just Served Us Nuts

THE PLANETSMercury

Venus

Earth

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Terrestrial PlanetsHave small orbitsRelatively small and have high

densities due to their rocky bodies made of heavy elementsMercuryVenus EarthMars

THE PLANETS

Major PlanetsHave large orbitsVery large and massiveHave dense atmospheres and low average

densitiesMuch more similar to the sun in

composition, being made of lighter elements and light gases like hydrogen and helium, with a little methane, ammonia, and waterJupiterSaturnUranusNeptune

THE PLANETS

THE PLANETS

Move around the sun in a west to east direction in elliptical orbits

Most orbits lie approximately in the same plane as the earth’s orbit

THE PLANETS

Smallest Planet of the Solar System

MERCURY

MERCURYDiameter : 4880 km

Rotates once every 59 days

Revolves around the sun in 88 days

Distance: 58 million km

Has very high temperatureVery low gravityHas no atmosphereMercury’s surface is marked with

countless holes and cratersSince mercury is closer to the sun

than the earth it is seen as an evening star just after sunset and as a morning star just before dawn

MERCURY

The Red Planet

VENUS

VENUSDiameter : 12100 km

Rotates once every 243days

Revolves around the sun in 255days

Distance: 108 million km

Earth’s twinSimilar in mass, size, and in having an

atmosphereImages showed that Venus is Round and

its surface is SmoothFound to rotate very slowly clockwiseNo moon and no waterCompletely covered with thick layers of

cloudsCalled the “Veiled Planet”

VENUS

A very hot planet, much hotter than Earth or even mercury

Temperature ranges from 426 to 500°CSince temperature is high, pressure on the

surface is also very highSurface pressure is about 90 atmospheres

at least 75 times that of the EarthTop of Venus’ clouds, temperature drop

suddenly to about 1.1°C

VENUS

High temperatures on Venus is attributed to the greenhouse effect

Carbon dioxide makes up 96% of Venus’ atmosphere

Recently, other heat-absorbing particles such as water and sulfur dioxide were detected

Water accounts for 0.1% of the greenhouse effect

Large amount of sulfur dioxide in the clouds is singled out to be largely responsible for the planet's high temperature

VENUS

VENUS in TRANSITA transit of Venus

across the sun takes place when the planet passes directly between the sun and the earth, becoming visible against the solar disk

Transit of 2012 lasted 6 hours and 40 minutes

The Blue Planet

EARTH

EARTHDiameter : 12760 km

Rotates once every 24 hours

Revolves around the sun in 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes and 43 seconds

Distance: 150 million km

EARTH'S MOONOnly satellite of the

earthDistance: 384000 km

away from the EarthDiameter: 3476 kmOrbits Earth in 27 1/3

daysNo atmosphereMoon’s surface is

marked all over by the countless craters of various sizes formed by falling meteorites

Phase of the Moonthe shape of the moon that we see

EARTH'S MOON

New MoonWhen the moon is between the Earth and the Sun, the

unlighted side of the moon faces the Earth so we do not see it

EARTH'S MOON

Crescent-shaped MoonAs the moon moves 1/8 of its orbit farther

EARTH'S MOON

First Quarter PhaseWhen the moon reaches ¼ of its orbit, half of

its lighted surface is visible to us

EARTH'S MOON

GibbousAfter the first quarter phase, the moon appears

larger than a half circle

EARTH'S MOON

Full MoonHalfway on its orbit, the moon’s lighted side faces

the Earth and we see a bright and round moon

EARTH'S MOON

Third Quarter PhaseThe moon continues in orbit and its lighted, visible part

becomes smaller and smaller turning into gibbous in shapeThree quarters along its orbit

EARTH'S MOON

ECLIPSEDisappearance

and appearance of a bright object in the sky

Happens wherein their journey along their orbits, the earth, the sun, and the moon come to a straight line

ECLIPSELunar Eclipse

When the earth is between the sun and moon

Solar EclipseWhen the moon

is between the earth and sun

The Next Earth?

MARS

MARSDiameter : 6800 km

Rotates once every 24.64 days

Revolves around the sun in 687 days

Distance: 228 million km

Has a thin atmosphere which offers very little protection against the sun’s radiation

Sudden changes in temperature occur which vary from 26.6°C during the day to 65.5°C below zero at night.

Soil contains peroxide and its atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide, a little carbon monoxide, and very small amounts of nitrogen, argon, oxygen, krypton, and xenon

Atmosphere also includes clouds and fogs

MARS

There is no liquid in marsWater in other forms may be found in the

atmosphere and beneath the surface of Mars

Frozen carbon dioxide forms the thin mist seen above the atmosphere and the polar caps of mars

MARINER 9 showed that Mars’ surface is heavily cratered in some parts, covered with short ridges and furrows in other parts, and has bright circular plains or deserts in the remaining parts

MARS

Red color, probably caused by the carbon suboxide (C3O2), a rare, foul-smelling compound

Ultraviolet radiation changes the arrangement of atoms in the molecules of this compound so that it acquires an orange or reddish brown color

The bright pinkish skyRed dust on mars is iron oxide which is

similar to that on earth

MARS

Has seasons like the earthAxis is inclined 25° from the perpendicular to its

orbitThe greater ellipticity of mars’ orbit compared to

that of earth causes more unequal heating of the northern and southern hemispheres

Summer is extremely hot and short in the southern hemisphere

In the northern hemisphere, summer is less extreme and concentrates large amounts of water vapor in the atmosphere near the north polar caps

Polar caps seen during the winter are craters ringed with dry ice

In spring, ice caps do not melt but rather evaporate

MARS

MARSOlympus Mons

Volcano on mars

Largest known volcano in the solar system

About 25 km high

MARSValles Marineris

Canyon on Mars

MARS' MOONSTwo known moons

Phobos Deimos

They are irregular in shape and were probably captured asteroids.