AST101H1 Lecture Notes - Terrestrial Planet, Kuiper Belt, Runaway Greenhouse Effect
14 Nov 2012
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AST101H1 Full Course Notes
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A solar system consists of a star orbited by planets, moons, and lots of debris (comets, asteroids, dust) Most planets rotate prograde (except venus and uranus) Terrestrial planets: small, rocky, thin or no atmosphere, few moons, m, v, e, mars. Jovian- jupiter-like: large, liquid + gas, small rocky core, many moons. Gas giants" is not correct term: j, s, u, n, all have rings. Rocky exterior with a huge iron core. Temperatures fluctuate between -170 c and 425 c (lead melts at. Thick co2 atmosphere, lots of possibly active volcanoes. Runaway greenhouse effect makes it even hotter than mercury: 460. C everywhere all the time (lead melts at 327 c) Takes 243 earth days to rotate once on its axis, does so clockwise. Unusually big moon: our moon vs planet size ratio is the greatest compared to any other planet moon relationship, only planet. Very thin co2 atmosphere less gravity than earth. Was probably earth-like in distant past (wet, warmish)
