The Solar System Observe our solar system Relative

The Solar System

Observe our solar system Relative sizes and distances are not to scale! Four outer planets are called gas giants Jupiter Four inner planets called terrestrial planets Mercury Saturn As te ro id s Earth Uranus Venus Mars Neptune Sun Other objects 19. 00. a 1

Observations Using Telescopes Images of Saturn using various processing methods Images of Mars with and without a dust storm from the Hubble telescope that orbits Earth 19. 01. a

Using Radar to Study Planetary Surfaces Radio waves sent from spacecraft to surface Waves reflect back if surface is rough or faces spacecraft Waves bounce away if surface smooth or slopes away from spacecraft Radar of Venus shows bright areas (rough) and darker areas (smooth) 19. 01. b

Remotely Observing Temperature and Composition Measure infrared energy given off: calculate temperature of surface or mineral composition Reds show warmer areas, blues are cooler Blue crater floor inferred to be loose sediment that cooled quickly 19. 01. c 1

Exploring the Surfaces of Other Planets and Moons Remotely exploring planets and moons using landers Geologist collecting samples on Moon 19. 01. d Remotely exploring Mars using rovers

Mars, the Red Planet Enough atmosphere to maintain ice caps Ice cap Dust Bedrock Dust and sand cover much of surface: dust storms and dunes Evidence of flowing water in past el n an h C 19. 03. d Mostly basalt lava with some sedimentary rocks

Valles Marineris rift The Geology of Mars Largest volcano Outflow channels 19. 08. a Slope failures Dunes in crater Layered rock

What Have We Learned from Landers and Rovers on Mars? Investigate composition, temperature, and takes photos Mars rovers 19. 08. b Layered rocks (reflect water? ) Meteorite Layered rocks Spheres of hematite

What Can We Observe About a Planet or Moon? Composition Atmosphere Impacts Tectonics Volcanism Erosion and deposition 19. 02. a

Impacts and Craters Impact forms crater and fractures rocks Crater surround by apron of ejected pieces Object from space collides with surface, as comet did on Jupiter 19. 02. b

How Water and Wind Modify a Planet’s Surface Weathering and erosion Deposition and slope failures 19. 02. d Wind

What can the abundance of craters tell us about the age of a surface? More craters indicate surface exposed longer Smoother surfaces modified later by tectonics, volcanism, erosion, or deposition Crater abundance (density) tells us relative age of surfaces 19. 02. m 1