AST101H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 7: International Astronomical Union, Terrestrial Planet, Solar Wind

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

Document Summary

Pictorial tour of the solar system and the formation of the solar system. A solar system consists of a star orbited by planets, moons, and lots of debris (comets, asteroids, dust) There is an inner solar system and an outer solar system. Comparative planetology = the study of the solar system by examining and understanding the similarities and differences among the worlds. Planets are rocky, icy, or gassy and don"t produce much energy (terrestrial planets vs. gas giants). That means there can"t be a lot of other stuff orbiting the parent star in orbits very similar to the planet. *this is why pluto has been demoted to the status of dwarf planet. The planets are tiny compared to the distances between them. Our solar system consists of the sun, the planets and their moons, and vast numbers of asteroids and comets. Each world has its own unique character, but there are many clear patterns among worlds.