Origin of the solar system

Today’s Lecture
✸Origin of the Earth and Solar System
- Nebular theory simulation
- Concept of stellar evolution
- Sun-Earth interactions
- Importance of magnetic field
- Role of impacts in planet fm
✸ Nature of the scientific method
- Homework assignment
- Due Friday


COURSE’S WEBSITE

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Nebular theory: Planets formed at the same time from cloud of dust
& gases called a “nebula”: 80% hydrogen, 15% helium, 5% heavier
elements.
Heavy elements sank
to the centers of planets,
forming the cores of
planets.
The process of separating
elements according to
their mass and density is
called: “chemical
differentiation”


Nebular Hypothesis:

Simulation Movie
(this time with sound!)
See file:
Solar System_~1.MPG


Paintings by William Hartman

Painting by William Hartman

Formation of “protoplanets”
by collisional accretion


Inner rocky planets

Separated by the asteroid belt

Outer gas giants


Venus as seen with radar


Venus:
Cloud-covered

Venus by radar

Mars:

Largest Volcanoes in the Solar System
Largest Canyon System


Martian Meteorite A LH84001: Signs of
Fossil Life- Probably Not!


Liquid Water on Mars?
 Small channel networks located on steep,
poleward-facing, high latitude slopes on Mars,
may have been formed by recent outflows of
near surface hydrothermal brines, providing
potentially habitable environments for a
subsurface biosphere on Mars today.


Mars Exploration Rovers
Launch to Mars in June


Jupiter
Big! (2 Earths fit in red spot)
◆ Spins once in 12 hrs
◆ 16 moons
◆

Jupiter
Io

◆Sixteen

moons

◆Galilean

satelites include

Io
Europa
Ganymede
Callisto

Ganymede

Europa

Callisto


Jupiter’s
moon Io
•Most
volcanically
active
object in the
Solar System!

Jupiter’s moon Io: Active volcanoes




Europa’s Cracks are Transform Faults!

San Francisco Peninsula
and San Andreas Fault

Fault systems on Europa


Saturn
Similar composition to Jupiter
but twice as far from Sun
◆ Most extensive ring system
◆ Atmosphere winds: 930 m.p.h.!
◆ At least 21 moons
◆



Saturn’s Moon Titan: Organic haze
& hydrocarbon oceans


Uranus:

Twin w/ Neptune
◆ Methane atmosphere
◆ Rotational axis tilted on its side
◆ At least 15 moons
◆


Neptune
Great dark spot
◆ White clouds
◆ 8 known moons
◆


Pluto
248 Earth years to go around Sun once
◆ Charon, its moon, is over half Pluto’s size
◆ A “captured” object
◆