AST 111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Galilean Moons, Kuiper Belt, Planetary Science
18 Dec 2020
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Document Summary
The ss has 8 major planets with nearly circular orbits. Dwarf planets are smaller than major ones, and some have elliptical orbits. All planets orbit in the same direction and same plane. The earth-sun distance is 200 times larger than the sun"s radius. Planets are very tiny, compared to the distances between them. Over 99. 9% of the solar system"s mass, composed mainly of h/he gas in plasma form. Converts 4mil tons of mass into energy each second. Made of metal and rock with a large iron core. It is desolate, cratered with long, steep cliffs. Nearly identical in size to earth, but has hellish conditions because of the greenhouse effect. Surface is hidden by clouds, and it gets hotter than mercury. The oasis of life (oceans and ice caps) with a large moon. Looks earth-like, has giant volcanoes, canyons, polar caps; water flowed in the distant past so maybe there was life.
