EAS100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Oort Cloud, Ellipse, Kuiper Belt

• School: University of Alberta
• Department: Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
• Course: EAS100
• Professor: Solweig Balzer

Document Summary

Earth orbits the sun at average distance 150 million km. Other planets extend out to ~40 a. u. Sunspots: dark patches formed by turbulence within the sun. Nuclear fusion of hydrogen to make helium. Most solar energy is output as electromagnetic radiation. Emr is represented as waves radio waves infra-red. Most stars in sky appear in fixed configurations. Most solar energy has wavelengths between 10-5 to 10-7 m. Inner 4 planets are similar in size and probable structure. Next 4 planets are similar" in size and probable structure. Normal hydrogen but in a liquid form. Hydrogen actually forms a defined crystal lattice. Behaves like a metal under extreme pressure. Eris (one moon, is past pluto and is bigger, found in 2005, biggest object in the kuiper belt) Planets are maintained in orbit by gravitational force. Elliptical shape: sun at one focus of the ellipse. Kepler"s first law: law of the ellipses . Period (p) is related to average distance (d)