Solar System, Inner planets, outer planets, orbit, axis, procession, revolution, rotation, composition, evolution,

1. Chapter 14; The Solar
Organization of the Solar System
The Sun
The inner rocky planets
The outer gas giants
Comets, asteroids, meteorites

2. Chapter 14; The Solar
Organization of the Solar System
The Sun
The inner rocky planets
The outer gas giants
Comets, asteroids, meteorites

3. Ch. 14 Main Ideas
Unbalanced forces cause motion.
What is the role of gravity in forming and
maintaining the shapes of the planets, the stars,
and the solar system?
The Sun is one of thousands of suns in the
Milky Way Galaxy.

4. Ch. 14; Main Ideas cont.
Suns differ in size, color, temperature.
Astronomical units and light years both
can be used to measure distance
between planets.
The stars are the source of all light in the
solar system.

5. Old View; Geocentric

6. Current View; Heliocentric

7. Kepler’s Laws
First Law; Planets move in ellipses
Second Law; When planets get close to the sun they move
faster.
Third Law; If you know how long it takes a planet to orbit
the Sun you can calculate its distance from the sun.

8. Planet speed increases as distance
from the sun decreases.

9. Measuring Astronomical Distance
Astronomical units (A.U.)
1 A.U. = Earth’s average distance from the
Sun = 150,000,000 km.
Be able to calculate distance from A.U.
2.77 A.U. = (2.77)(150 million km) =
415,500,000 km

10. The Sun
Nuclear Fusion; H + H = He
Only occurs under pressure = Sun’s core.
The total mass of all the He is less than the H!!
Where did the missing mass go?
The lost mass is converted into energy...
Produces immense heat and light.
Pressure pushes out, gravity pulls into a sphere

11. Fusion Summary

12. Structure of the Sun
Core
Radiation zone
Convection zone
Photosphere
Chromosphere
Corona
Sunspots, prominences, solar flares & wind.

13. Four Rocky, Dense, Inner Planets

14. Four outer, gasseous, giants

15. Calculate

16. Comets, asteroids, meteorites
Comet tails always point away from the Sun due
to the solar winds.

17. What’s the difference?
Comets; dust, small rocks, ice; elliptical orbits; seen
rarely in the sky.
Asteroids; larger than comets, smaller than planets,
circular orbits.
Meteoroid; Size in between comet & asteroid.
Meteor; A meteoroid streaking through air.
Meteorite; A meteoroid when it hits the Earth.