A yellow star made of HYDROGEN AND HELIUM GAS.

The sun gives off ENERGY!

SOLID fastest planet Smallest 88 day Rev.Craters are the main featureNo AtmosphereExtreme Temps. Hot and Cold (Facing sun: 430 C (800 F)/ Not facing sun – 170(– 280 F)

Geologically Dead – Cooled core (Densest planet – thick core of iron) No Volcanoes/Plate Tect.The surface of Mercury does not change b/c there NO ATMOS/NO Weather & it is Geo. DeadMost like E.’s MoonExploration: Mariner 10 flyby for images 1974-74

Rev. time = 243 daysRotation time = 288 daysA DAY IS LONGER THAN A YEAR ON VENUS!

Rotates slowly & BACKWARDS

SOLID; “Earth’s Twin” in mass & size

460 C (900 F):HOTTEST THICK atmosphere of heat-trapping (green-house) gases: CO2, CH4, H2O

High Atmospheric pressure – crush you like a can!

Craters, Volcanoes, Mts., Canyons, Storms, Acid Rain (So2), No more plate tectonics?Explored: Soviet Spacecrafts descended & were destroyed

SOLID

Atmosphere : 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, 1% other gases (CO2, H2O, + more)

Temps. 57 F (average.) – Warm enough for liquid water!

(1) Moon

Features: Craters, Volcanoes, Mts., Canyons, Plates, Liquid water, LIFE

Geologically Active: Hot interior, active volcanoes, plate tectonics,

Weathering & Erosion change surface.

1 AU from sunRev.= 365.25 days Rotation ~ 24 hrs

1.5 AUs from sun

Rev. = 1.8 years

Rotation time = 24 hrs

SOLID

Almost ½ Earth’s size

Atmosphere: Thin CO2

Temps. Very Cold Range: – 207 (poles) to 70 F (equator in summer)Has Seasons

Features: Craters, extinct volcanoes, canyons, ice caps (water & CO2), dry river beds, dust storms

Geologically Active? – Cool interior, No tectonics, No volcanism

Yes – Wind Erosion

The Red Planet

Satellites/Moons: Phobos & Diemos (small, not round)

http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/files/imagecache/news/files/news/20080722_mars_surface.jpg

http://zuserver2.star.ucl.ac.uk/~idh/apod/ap970915.html

http://www.mactonnies.com/firstcolor.jpg

http://www.rps.psu.edu/0305/graphics/price_01.jpg

http://www.marsbase.net/m/mars-map.php

Most Explored Planet

Orbiting Spacecrafts – Images & Climate & Temp. Readings

Rovers – Spirit & Odyssey are still roving!

http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/home/index.html

Change on Mars

1. Describe conditions on early Mars? In what ways was it Earth-like?

2. What happened? Map the changes that took place to make Mars a cold frozen planet.

Inner Planets (Terrestrial)

Commonalities:

1.Relative small size

2.Solid, rocky surfaces (Craters)

3.Few or no moons

4.Warmer than outer planets

5.No rings

Asteroids = Big Space Rocks (< 1 km in diameter)

•Separates the inner and outer solar system

•Early S.System remnants that didn’t form planets.

•Not enough mass (hence gravity) to be spherical.

•Some are rubble heaps

•Rock + Metals (platinum, cobolt) + ice

NASA’s NEOhttp://neo.jpl.nasa.gov

VideosThe Universe Season 1, Episode 7

Mercury & Venus (1/3)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDWCRPa6e0I&playnext=1&list=PL16515A70C153B1E3

Mercury & Venus (2/3)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8GzadApTpM&playnext=1&list=PL16515A70C153B1E3

Mercury & Venus (3/3)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q6LHuaT3bo&playnext=1&list=PL16515A70C153B1E3

Mars (1/3)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymg4n80tnv4&playnext=1&list=PL98664440C5493F39

Mars (2/3)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwmKYRYCq-w&playnext=1&list=PL98664440C5493F39

Mars (3/3)

Carl Sagan’s Cosmos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBqjob-UVeo