The Solar System

Formation - formed when a cloud of gas and dust in space was disturbed, possibly by explosion of a supernova - explosion made waves in space which squeezed the cloud of gas and dust - this caused the cloud start to collapse, as gravity pulled the gas and dust together, forming a solar nebula. This cloud began to spin as it collapsed - cloud grew hotter and denser in the center, with a disk of gas and dust surrounding it that was hot in the center but cool at the edges. - As the disk got thinner, particles began to stick together and form clumps - Some clumps got bigger, as particles and small clumps stuck to them, eventually forming planets or moons - Near the center of the cloud, only rocky material could stand the great heat. - Icy and gaseous matter settled in the outer regions of the disk along with some rocky material, where the giant planets like Jupiter formed - As the cloud continued to fall in, the center eventually got so hot and formed the Sun - This blew most of the gas and dust of the new solar system with a strong stellar wind - By studying meteorites, which are thought to be leftovers from the early phase of the solar system, it is discovered that the solar system is about 4600 million years old! The Sun -Serves as the Solar Systems star - Considered the center of our solar system. - It is a giant, spinning ball of very hot gas - It is fueled by nuclear fusion reactions. - It is also an active star that displays sunspots, solar flares, erupting prominences, and coronal mass ejections. - These phenomena are all related to the Sun's magnetic field. They impact our near-Earth space environment and determine our space weather. - In about five billion years, the Sun will evolve into a Red Giant, and eventually, a White Dwarf star. - Activity on the Sun varies on an cycle of about 11 years - Outermost layer of the Sun's atmosphere is the corona. - Corona has a temperature of about 1 million degrees - Glowing plasma, which is like magnetized gas, sometimes forms loops in the corona. - Magnetic fields around sunspots make these loops, called coronal loops. - 30 Earths would be able to fit across corona loop - Surface of the Sun, photosphere, is covered with a "granulation pattern" caused by the convective flow of heat rising to the photosphere from the Sun's interior - Hotter centres of granules bulge upward, while the cooler edges are sinking downward. - White light with a wavelength between 400 and 700 nanometers (nm) shows the photosphere, the visible surface of the Sun. Other wavelengths highlight different features of the Sun, such as its magnetic field, the chromosphere and the corona

Mercury - The first planet of the solar system, also the planet nearest to the Sun

- It is the smallest planet in the Solar System. - It is only slightly larger than the Earth's moon. - Mercury's surface is covered with craters. - This planet does not have any rings or moons. Atmosphere: Mercury has a very tenuous and highly variable atmosphere (surface-bound exosphere) containing hydrogen, helium, oxygen, sodium, calcium, potassium and water vapour Composition: Approximately70% metals and 30% silicate material. Diameter: 4879km (Equator) Mass: 0.330 x 1024 kg Distance from Sun: 57.9 x 106 km Orbital Period: 88 days Mean Temperature: 167 C Number of Moons: 0 Venus - Venus is the second planet from the Sun -Closest planet to Earth - Brightest planet after the Sun - Slightly smaller than Earth - Has an interior that is similar to Earth. - Surface of Venus is not visible from far due to thick clouds in its atmosphere that strongly reflect sunlight. Atmosphere: Opaque clouds of sulfuric acid present. Main atmospheric gases are carbon dioxide(96%) and nitrogen. Other chemical compounds are present only in trace amounts. Composition: Rocky. Details unknown. Diameter: 12104km (Equator) Mass: 4.87 x 1024 kg Distance from Sun: 108.2 x 106 km Orbital Period: 224.7 days Mean Temperature: 464 C Number of Moons: 0 Earth - The third planet from the Sun - Largest of the Inner Planets - Earth is the only planet known to support life and to have liquid water at the surface. - Earth has a substantial atmosphere and magnetic field, both of which are critical for sustaining life. - Earth is the innermost planet in the Solar System to have a Moon. - Has inner and outer radiation belts that surround it, which forms a part of the magnetosphere. Radiation belts of the Earth are made up of electrons, protons and heavier atomic ions. These particles get trapped in the magnetic field of the Earth. Atmosphere: 79% nitrogen, 20% oxygen, and 1% other gases Composition: Generally rock, metals and water Diameter: 12756km (Equator) Mass: 5.97 x 1024 kg Distance from Sun: 149.6 x 106 km Orbital Period: 365.2 days Mean Temperature: 15 C

Number of Moons: 1 Mars - The fourth planet from the Sun. - Mars has a bright appearance and reddish color, caused by rust in the soil. - Has surface features such as enormous volcanoes and valleys - Has volcanoes, canyon systems, river beds, cratered terrain, and dune fields. - Frequent huge dust storms. Atmosphere: Generally carbon dioxide Composition: Generally rock and iron oxide. Diameter: 6792km (Equator) Mass: 0.642 x 1024 kg Distance from Sun: 227.9 x 106 km Orbital Period: 687.0 days Mean Temperature: -65 C Number of Moons: 0 Jupiter - The fifth planet from the Sun - The largest planet in the solar system - Has a faint ring system which is not easily visible - Jupiter is the site of recent comet impacts and continuing scientific discovery. - Contains a Great Red Spot, an enormous anti-cyclonic (high pressure) storm akin to a hurricane on Earth that persisted for at least 400 years. Has a counter-clockwise rotation due to a high pressure system, with a period of around 6 days. The colourful, wavy cloud pattern to the left of the Red Spot is a region of extraordinarily complex end variable wave motion. Atmosphere: Mostly made of molecular hydrogen(~74%) and helium(~24%) in roughly solar proportions(similar to the sun); other chemical compounds are present only in small amounts and include methane, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and water. There are oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and noble gas abundances in the atmosphere. Composition: Roughly 90% hydrogen and 10% helium Diameter: 142984 km (Equator) Mass: 1899 x 1024 kg Distance from Sun: 778.6 x 106 km Orbital Period: 4331 days Mean Temperature: -110 C Number of Moons: 67

Saturn - The sixth planet from the Sun - Has the most easily visible set of rings in the solar system. - Is the planet with the lowest density in the solar system, is able to float on water. - Rings made of large ice boulders, dust and rock Atmosphere: Mainly Hydrogen (around 75%) and Helium (around 25%) with traces of methane, ammonia and rock Composition: Hydrogen (Compressed) and various ices Diameter: 120536 km (Equator)

Mass: 568 x 1024 kg Distance from Sun: 1433.5 x 106 km Orbital Period: 10747 days Mean Temperature: -140 C Number of Moons: 62 Uranus - The seventh planet from the Sun - Has its spin axis almost in the plane of its orbit about the Sun, which produces unusual seasons and also causes unique magnetic and electric field structures. - Has a faint ring system which is not easily visible - Appears to be blue-green because of absorption of red light by the methane gas - Rings made of large ice boulders, dust and rock -Extremely high wind speeds at 40 to 160 meters per second Atmosphere: 83% hydrogen, 15% helium, 2% methane Composition: Generally rock and ice, with smaller amounts of hydrogen, helium and other gases Diameter: 51118 km (Equator) Mass: 86.8 x 1024 kg Distance from Sun: 2872.5 x 106 km Orbital Period: 30589 days Mean Temperature: -195 C Number of Moons: 27 Neptune - The eighth planet of the Solar System - Has a faint ring system which is not easily visible - Bluish colour is caused by small amounts of methane gas in its atmosphere - Had a Great Dark Spot, which moves across the surface of Neptune at about 300 m/s westward and the winds around the GDS is the fastest in the solar system at 2,000 km/h. The GDS rotates in a counter-clockwise motion. It was found missing in 1994. - Had a Small Dark Spot, which was similar to the Great Dark Spot. As its name suggests, it is just smaller in size. Also found to be missing in 1994. - Has a New Dark Spot, similar to the Great Dark Spot and the Small Dark Spot. - Has a Scooter, an irregular shaped cloud that flies eastward around the circumference of Neptune around every sixteen hours. It is probably a plume rising from somewhere lower in the atmosphere. Atmosphere: Generally mixture of heated gases, mainly hydrogen, helium, water and methane Composition: Generally mixture of heated gases, mainly hydrogen, helium, water and methane. Middle layer consists of a heterogeneous combination of water, liquid ammonia, rock and methane. Diameter: 49528 km (Equator) Mass: 102 x 1024 kg Distance from Sun: 4495.1 x 106 km Orbital Period: 59800 days Mean Temperature: -200 C Number of Moons: 13

Pretty good website to check out: http://library.thinkquest.org/28327/html/universe/solar_system/planets/neptune/interior/comp osition.html