The Solar System
Chapter 23
NOTES: Classification of the Planets
Inner or Outer
Terrestrial or Jovian
Inner Planets
Inside the asteroid belt
Mercury
Second smallest
Almost no atmosphere
Extremely hot during day (450oC)
Extremely cold during night (-170oC)
Period of revolution 88 days
Period of rotation 58 days
Inner Planets
Venus
Looks like earth (earths sister)
Dense atmosphere 90 Atm
Extremely hot (470oC)
Period of revolution 225 days
Period of rotation 243 days Retrograde
Inner Planets
Earth
Only planet known to have life
Only planet known to have liquid water
1 astronomical unit from sun = 150,000,000 km
Inner Planets
Mars
Conditions most like earth
Temperature range 35oC to 170oC
Thin atmosphere of CO2
2 moons
Largest volcano Olympus Mons
Revolution 687 days
Rotation 24 hours
Outer Planets
Beyond The Asteroid Belt
Jupiter
Largest planet
Gas
Great Red spot
Moons
Revolution 12 years
Rotation 10 hours
Outer Planets
Saturn
Rings
Gas
Second largest planet
Over 20 moons
Revolution 30 years
Rotation 10 hours
Outer Planets
Uranus
Retrograde rotation
Gas
Axis tilted 86o
Rolls around the sun
Revolution 84 years
Rotation 17 hours
Outer Planets
Neptune
Gas
Revolution 165 years
Rotation 16 hours
Outer Planets
Pluto
One moon
Smallest planet
Sometimes the eighth planet
Revolution 249 years
Rotation 6.5 days
Terrestrial vs. Jovian
Terrestrial
Like earth in composition
Solid
Few moons
Little gas
No rings
Slow rotation
Terrestrial vs. Jovian
Like Jupiter
Gas
Giants
Many moons
Many rings
Fast rotation
NOTES: Section 23.5 Other Objects in the Solar System
Comets
Short period
Orbit sun from just beyond Jupiter
Long period
Orbit sun from outside solar system
Comets
Oort Cloud where most comets originated
Comets dirty snow ball
Tail away from sun
Meteoroids, Meteors and Meteorites
Meteoroids small pieces of comets in space
Meteors meteoroids that burn up in earths atmosphere
Meteorites meteoroids that fall to the surface of earth
Asteroids
Belt between Mars and Jupiter that did not form a planet
