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OUR SOLAR SYSTEM. Collapsing Interstellar Cloud. Clouds of dust and gas found in space between stars. Composed primarily of hydrogen and helium. Heavy trace elements are rare but present. Can be illuminated by nearby stars and are visible. Interstellar Cloud. Interstellar Cloud Collapse.
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Collapsing Interstellar Cloud • Clouds of dust and gas found in space between stars. • Composed primarily of hydrogen and helium. • Heavy trace elements are rare but present. • Can be illuminated by nearby stars and are visible.
Interstellar Cloud Collapse • Cloud begins to condense. • Can be caused by the gravity of nearby galaxies or stars. • Shock waves from supernovae can also contribute. • Collapse is slow at first but accelerates rapidly.
Rotating Disk Formation • If the cloud was rotating, as it concentrates is will rotate faster. • The rotation flattens the cloud and concentrates the mass in the center forming a disk.
Protostar • The loss of gravitational potential energy causes heating. • Gravity compresses gas and dust in the center. • Pressure and heat increase.
Fusion Begins • Heat and pressure increase. • Fusion of hydrogen to helium begins. • Solar radiation in the form of light and other EM radiation begins.
Planetesimals Form • Substances condense to solid liquid and gas depending on their proximity to the young sun. • Accretion occurs and forms planetesimals. • Further growth occurs when they collide and merge.
Gas Giant Formation • Jupiter first to form. • Icy planetesimals, gas and dust accrete to form the gas giants. • Gas giants form equatorial disks which condense to form moons.
Inner Planet Formation • Also formed by merging of planetesimals. • Composed primarily of refractory elements and are rocky and dense. • Most of the gas in this area accretes to the sun.
Asteroids and Comets • Leftover debris from the formation of the solar system forms asteroids and comets. • The asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter contains the planetesimals which could not accrete because of Jupiter’s gravitational pull.
Terrestrial Planets • Close to the size of Earth and have solid, rocky surfaces. • Include the four inner planets and their satellites. • Three of them have atmospheres (Venus, Earth, and Mars.
Mercury • Equatorial radius: 2439Km. • Rotation period: 56.6 ED. • Orbital period: 0.2408467EY • Too small to have an atmosphere. • Temperature range: 427 to -173 degrees Celsius.
Venus • Equatorial radius: 6052 Km. • Rotation period: 243 ED (retrograde). • Orbital period: .615 EY • Moons: None. • Thick atmosphere of carbon dioxide with a surface pressure of 90 atm. • Very high surface temperature: 500 degrees Celsius.
Earth • Equatorial radius: 6378 Km. • Rotation period: 1 ED. • Orbital period: 1 EY. • Moons: One. • We live here!
Mars • Equatorial radius: 3397 Km. • Rotation period: 1.03 ED. • Orbital period: .1.88 EY • Moons: Phobos and Diemos. • Very thin atmosphere. • Surface temperature: -133 to 27 degrees Celcius.
Gas Giants • The four giant planets are comprised mostly of an outer layer of molecular hydrogen and helium and a much thicker layer of metallic hydrogen. • Each may have a small solid core as large as several Earth masses at their center. • Sometimes they are called "Jovians"
Jupiter • Equatorial radius: 71492 Km. • Rotation period: .414 ED. • Orbital period: 11.86 EY • Moons: 27 and counting. • Gas planet has no surface, the atmosphere gets more and more dense toward the center. • Huge magnetic field and very hot center core. • Almost became a star (just not enough mass).
Saturn • Equatorial radius: 60268 Km. • Rotation period: .414 ED. • Orbital period: 29.4 EY • Moons: 25 and counting. • Has rings composed of water ice and rock fragments. • Core of the planet is very hot. • Lowest density of all the planets (.7), Saturn is less dense than water and would float.
Uranus • Equatorial radius: 25559 Km. • Rotation period: .65 ED (retrograde). • Orbital period: 84 EY • Moons: 21. • Spins on its side with its pole toward the sun. • Has thin rings like Saturn.
Neptune • Equatorial radius: 24764 Km. • Rotation period: .768 ED. • Orbital period: 165 EY • Moons: 8. • Has thin rings like Saturn. • Composition similar to Uranus.
Pluto • Equatorial radius: 1151 Km. • Rotation period: 6.4 ED (retrograde). • Orbital period: 248 EY • Moons: 3. • Recently classified as a large asteroid rather than a planet. • Very eccentric orbit sometimes brings it closer to the sun than Neptune.
Small Bodies • Asteroids sometimes called planetoids or minor planets. Most are contained in the Kuiper belt between Jupiter and Mars. • Comets have more volatile materials and much more eccentric orbits. Most originate in the Oort Cloud which is beyond the orbit of Pluto. • Some come close to the Earth and are called Near Earth Objects. • Jupiter and its huge gravity “sweeps” most of these bodies before they reach Near Earth Object status.