AST101H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Planetary Science, System 7, Ammonia

• School: UTSG
• Department: Astronomy & Astrophysics
• Course: AST101H1
• Professor: Michael Reid

Document Summary

Solar system is not a random collection of worlds, but a system that exhibits may clear patterns. All planets orbit the sun in the same direction and in nearly the same plane. Pluto is smaller than the major planets and has a more elliptical orbit. Comparative planetology: = comparing worlds to one another and seeking to understand their similarities and diff. This reveals patterns among them, which then provide insights that help us understand our own planet: stay focused on processes common to multiple worlds instead of individual facts specific to a particular world. Largest/brightest in our solar systems, consisting of 99. 8% if its mass. Made mostly of hydrogen and helium gas (plasma: converts 4 mil tons of mass into energy each second. Made of metal and rock w/large iron core. Very cold and very cold b/c of closeness to sun: no active volcanoes, no wind, no air, no rain, no life.