Solar System

J. D. Price

Natural Science II – ERTH 1040

Solar System Formation

4.6 billion years ago

Q: From what materials is our solar system made?

The Sun

Mass: 1.9734 E 30 kg Dia: 1.4 E 6 km Comp: 92% H2, 8% He Rot: 25 d

Core T: 14 E 6 ºC (22.5 E 6 ºF) Srf T: 5,500o C (9,932o F)

Me

teo

rite

sIron-nickel - likely compositionof the Earth’s core. EtchedWidmanstatten exsolutiontexture

Stony iron – mixedcomposition of olivine

and iron

Glorieta Mountainpallasite (NM)

www.arizonaskiesmeteorites.com

Chondrite – likely compositionof the Earth’s mantle andcrust. This is a slab of NWA2089 (LL3)

Carbonaceous Chondrite –likely composition of the Sunwithout Hydrogen & Helium.This is a piece of the Allende

Meteorite from Chihuahua,Mexico

Me

teo

rite

s

www.arizonaskiesmeteorites.com

Me

teo

rite

s

Achondrite – fragments of the Moon andMars. This is Martian Shergottitic Meteorite:Dar Al Gani (DAG) 476 from Lybia

Q: which planets

are gaseous and

which are

terrestrial?

Mercury Venus Earth Mars

Mass: 0.33 E 24 kg 4.87 E 24 kg 5.98 E 24 kg 0.64 E 24 kilograms

Av. Dia: 4,878 km (3,030 mi) 12,104 km (7,522 mi) 12,753 km (7,926 mi) 6,785 km (4,217 miles)

Rot: 58.65 d N 243 d R 24 hrs N 24.6 hrs N

Tilt: 0º 177-178o 23o 27” 25o 12"

Rev: 0.24 yrs 0.62 yrs 365 days 5 hrs 1.88 years

Atmos: none CO2 N2 with O2 CO2

Surface T: -184o C to 427o C 457o C (855o F) -89o C to 57.7o C -129o C to 0o C

(-300o F to 800o F) (-128o F to 136o F) ( -200o F to 32o F)

Eq. g: 3.7 m/s2 8.8 m/s2 9.8 m/s2 3.7 m/s2

Esc. V. 4.25 km/s 10.36 km/s 11.18 km/s 5.02 km/s

Sat: 0 0 1 2

Mag: yes no yes no

r = 6378 km

The structure of Earth isthought to be very similar tothe rest of the terrestrialplanets.

] Iron (w 10% Nickel) core

] Fe-Mg Silicate mantle

] Al Ca / K-Na Silicate crust

The magnetic fields of Earthand Mercury may result from

the liquid state of their cores.

Earth’s Moon

NASAGalileo

Avg. distance = 380,000 km(238,00 mi)

Surface

•Dust and orange glass –meteoritic impact

•Basalt – dark colored rock

•Anorthosite – light coloredrock

•Breccias – mixed rockQ: Of what materials is

the Moon composed?

Lunar Formation

4.527* billion years ago

Recent Theories

•Fission Theory – Moon breaks awayfrom Earth

•Condensation Theory – Mooncondenses as separate nearbyplanetesmal

•Capture Theory – Moon formselsewhere but becomes trapped inEarth’s gravity

•Impact Theory – Mars-sized objectstrikes Earth, ejects lunar material

*Kleine et al., Science, Dec. 2005

Using halfnium-tungsten isotopes

•Impact Theory – Mars-sized object strikes Earth, ejectslunar material

Moon’s composition indicates that formation must occurafter partial differentiation of the earth

Q: How do we currently think our

moon formed? Why?

© 2006, NASA

Lunar History

• 4.5-3.8 Ga: Molten surface – maybe100km deep

• 3.8-3.1 Ga: Molten interior –radioactiveheating, core segregation, lava floods

• 3.1 Ga to present: Cold and quiet –,meteorite modification.

Phases of the Moon

NASAGalileo

Earth and Moon

•Moon is largest satellite insolar system (3,476 km)

•Largest satellite:planetmass ratio (1/81)

•Center of mass altersorbital path

Earth and Moon

Q: how does our

Moon’s mass affect

the movement of

the Earth in space?

Eclipse

Solar Eclipse

Q: Why are

solar eclipses

so rare?

Lewiston, MT, Feb. 26, 1979

© Oregon Museum of Science

and Industry

Tidal bulge

Earth extreme - Bay of Fundygreatest intertidal difference Coastline shape

influences shore-tideinterface

Fundy acts as a tideamplifier - mouth ofthe bay reinforces aslow moving wave(seiche) moving innear synchrony withtide

6000 years - tideheight increases 15cm/century.

7 m tides - East Quoddy Head, N.B.

14 m tides - Hopewell Rocks, N.B.

© Roger Smith

Achondrite – fragments of theMoon and Mars

Allan Hills 84001

A fragment of Mars found inthe Antarctic ice.

Carbonate concretions

Q: What is the evidence for life on Mars?

Twin PeaksThe view from Pathfinder, 1997

©2005, NASA - JPL

MER-A Spirit

The MER-A Spirit

This approximate true-color image of outcrop dubbed "Longhorn," and behindit, the sweeping plains of Gusev Crater. On the horizon, the rim of Gusev

Crater is clearly visible to south. Sol 210 (August 5, 2004). Image Credit:

NASA/JPL/CornellImage Note: SolA_210_P2398_L257_Longhorn (jpg used)

Spirits ascent up Husband HillImage Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell/OSU/NMU

Dark, porous-textured volcanic rocks on Low Ridge. Tworocks to the right of center, brighter and smoother-lookingare thought to be meteorites. bright material is evidence ofsulfur-rich salty minerals in the subsurface.

Sol: 1000Image credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell

McMurdo Panorama

Mazatzal is a highly coated rock: a top coat of dust, a pinking coating, a darkrind and its true interior. The observed area is 3 centimeters (1.2 inches)across.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL/USGS/CornellImage Note: Mazatzal_closeup_RAT2-A087R1

2nd pass at rock namedMazatal (sol 85).Blue arrow - leftover portionsof the outer dark rind.Yellow arrow - bright edgessurrounding the rind.Red arrows - crack that mayhave once contained fluids outof which mineralsprecipitated.

The MER-B Opportunity

"Burns Cliff" after driving right to the base of this southeastern portion of theinner wall of "Endurance Crater." The view combines frames taken byOpportunity's panoramic camera between the rover's 287th and 294th sol(Nov. 13 to 20, 2004). Because of this wide-angle view, the cliff wallsappear to bulge out toward the camera. In reality the walls form a gentlycurving, continuous surface.Image Credit: NASA/JPL/CornellImage Note: Burns_Cliff_L257T-B313R1

Dune structures near Erebus - “color” image from OpportunityImage Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell

Hematite-rich soil includes rounded “blueberries” on plains of Anatolia.Morphology suggested of fluid origins.Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell

Asteroids

Smaller fragments of condensed solid matter

Most orbit sun between Mars and Jupiter

Infrequently impact planets

Asteroids that encounter planets are increasingly pulledin to the planet with closer proximity.

They will accelerate towards the planet increasing theirenergy

On terrestrial planets and moons, this increases untilthe asteroid encounters the solid surface (or ocean).

The energy is translated into the planet

Extensive to surface results from energy transfer.

Such events were common place within the early solarsystem.

http://near.jhuapl.edu/

http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/orbits

Ne

ar

Ea

rth

As

tero

id R

en

de

zv

ou

s

http://near.jhuapl.edu/

Feb 12, 2001

Ne

ar

Ea

rth

As

tero

id R

en

de

zv

ou

s

A chilling vision of things to come…

2036 potential impact fromAsteroid Apophis (d = 390m)

April 13, 2029 enters low-earth space (beneath g.s.satellites).

But not hit Earth

However, the closeencounter will influence itspath. If it flies through a600 m area it will hit theEarth in 2036. (1:5,500chance)

This might hurt a bit…

Q: why do the gaseous planets have thick mantles of hydrogen?

Natural Satellites (Moons)

All planets beyond Venus have moons

Jovian moons – earthlike?

Io – active volcanism

Europa – Dynamic surface of water ice

Calisto – Water Ice potentially underlain by liquidwater

Q: how are moons

different from

planets

Cassini - Saturn’s first artificial satellite

Cassini is now parked in orbitaround this ringed planet. Itis hoped that the spacecraftwill provide new insight to thenature and origin of Saturn, itsmoons, and its ring.

©2005, NASA - ESA - JPL

Ultraviolet reflectance from rings- blue coloring in image indicatesice (water-CO2)

S

atu

rnia

n R

ing

sNew views from Cassini

Rings are stoney-iceymini-moons trapped inSaturn’s gravitationalfield.

©2005, NASA - ESA - JPL

Iapetus

Pheobe

Prometheus(Shepard)

Rhea

S

atu

rnia

n m

oo

ns

New views from Cassini

©2005, NASA - ESA - JPL

2005 views of Icy Moons - CICLOPS

Dione above rings,Saturn’s colors.

CICLOPS

Distance from Saturn 1 221 870 km

Distance from Sun 1 427 000 000 km (9.54 AU)

Diameter (atmosphere) 5550 km

Diameter (surface) 5150 km

Mass 1/45 that of Earth

Average density 1.881 times liquid water

Surface temperature 94K (-180 degrees C)

Atmos. P at surface 1500 mbar (1.5 times Earth's)

Atmos. composition Nitrogen, methane, traces of ammonia,

argon, ethane

Orbital period 15.95 Earth days

Titan - Saturn’s largest satellite

©2005, European Space Agency

Saturn Cassini - The Huygens Probe

Launched from the Cassini satellite, this probe decendedthrough Titan’s atmosphere to its surface.

©2005, European Space Agency

Huygens’ view on the way down

©2005, European Space Agency

Titan appears to have adynamic surface.

Huygens senses the surface

©2005, NASA - ESA - JPL

Earth-like dendriticstream channels -formed by liquidmethane

What is the source

of methane?

Lake-like features

Pluto

Charon

Concentrated at the edge of solar system (Oort Cloud)

A few make closer orbits to the sun

Image of C/2002 C1 (Ikeya-Zhang)March 11.77, 2002 UT with deltagraph 300/1000 8 min.

Ektachrome 100 film

Copyright ©2002 Michael Jager.

http://encke.jpl.nasa.gov/Recent_Images.html

Comets – mostly water ice