Gas Giants• Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, & Neptune• Large, “gaseous” planets with small

solid cores of metal & rock. • Made mostly of Hydrogen & Helium –

under great pressures H & He existing as liquids w/in planet

CH 25.4 Outer Planets

5.2 AUs from sun

Orbit time (Rev.) = 12 yrs

Rotation = 9.8 hours

GASEOUS, LARGEST & MOST MASSIVE PLANET (mass = 318 x Earth)

Atmosphere = Hydrogen, Helium

Temps = -144C (but hot core)

Lg. Magnetosphere – currents of metallic liquid Hydrogen

Features:

Cloud Bands, Giant Red Spot storm system, single faint ring

moons: 50+

Exploration: Voyager & Galileo Spacecraft Flybyshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92PdqOA7VEY&feature=relmfu

Io - volcanic

Ganymede – icy (Large)

Callisto - icy

Europa – icy (salt water ocean underneath)

The History Channel’s “The Universe – Jupiter” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLeKE8hfP8M

Most volcanically active location in the solar system.

Europa may have life under its salt water ocean under its frozen surface.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVDE14tFyEM&feature=PlayList&p=10F85C2BC16A885E&index=0http://www.youtube.com/user/Knowledge2Truth#p/c/28A94D2A4AEC778C/15/-tsamka8gHU

9.5 AUs from sun

Orbit time (Rev) = 29.5 yrs

Rotation = 10.67 hrs

GASEOUS- 2nd Largest, Least dense (could float)

Atmosphere: Hydrogen, Helium, +

(Rains helium)

Temps: -176C (hot core)

Features: Large ring system (icy rock/dust) Cloud bands

Moons: 30+

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D8Y9J3aL3I

Titan: Saturn’s Moon

• Cassini-Huygen’s Mission recently explored Titan with a probe

• Cassini continues to explore Saturn

• Has an THICK ATMOSPHERE

• Nitrogen & Methane

• Liquid lakes of ethane & methane.

The Universe: Saturn 1/3http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfDQeZxPsgw 

19.2 AUs

Orbit Time (Rev): 84 years

Rotation: 17.24 hrs.

GASEOUS & RINGS

Atmosphere: Hydrogen, HeliumMethane, Ammonia

Tilted on side 90 degrees and rotates backwards (retrograde)

Temps: - 215 C (hot core)

moon: 20+The History Chanel’s Outer Planets: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIrhTXRROgo

30 AUs

Orbit time (Rev) = 165 yrs.

Rotation = 17.24 hrs.• GASEOUS & RINGS

• Atmosphere: Methane, Hydrogen, Ammonia

• Temps: -355 F

• FeaturesDark Spot storm system (vanished 1994)

• Clouds of Methane Ice Crystals

Moons: 8+ (Triton is largest)

Windiest Planet (1200 mph winds)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woBY6CiIfTg&feature=PlayList&p=DD2B509749D92C27&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=13http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgKpinHLY-Q

Common Features of Outer Planets

• Large in size• Gaseous surfaces of H & He• Many Moons• Rings• Cold temperatures• Long revolutions

40 AUs

Trace Atmosphere (methane)

Temps. - 223 C/ -400F

SOLID – icy rock w/ frozen methane

DenseMoon: Charon (almost same size; they chase each other

Eccentric &Tilted Orbit (17 degrees)

Dwarf Planet

Probably a Kuiper Belt Object

New Horizons Spacecraft – left in 2006; will arrive in 2015

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgKpinHLY-QDiscovery: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1RU6P-fUr4

Reasons Pluto was Reclassified

1. Too small & solid(Outer planets are large & gaseous)

2. No rings

3. Only 1 moon (and it chases it).

4. Orbit is very elliptical & tilted

5. More in common with K.B.O.s

Kuiper Belt

Short term comets are also in K. Belt (~ 200 yr.orbits)

http://www.solarviews.com/eng/kuiper.htm

K.B.O.sRound icy rock bodies like Pluto continue to be found & classified.

Starts at Neptune’s orbit and extends for 30 – 50 AU out.

In the ecliptic plane w. planets

Sedna

http://discovermagazine.com/2004/nov/cover/outer-oort.jpg

www.astro.rug.nl

library.thinkquest.org

The Universe: The Outer Planets (& Pluto & KBO)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osWm8QygoH4

Dirty Snowballs with a rocky core

Vapor tail forms as it approaches sun (Solar wind evaporates frozen gases)

• Tail faces away from sun

• Short Range – 200 yrs (K.Belt)

• Long Range – millions or years (Oort Cloud)

Found in Kuiper Belt(region that starts @ Neptune’s orbit and extends past Pluto & is in the ECLIPITC PLANE) & Oort Cloud (SPHERE OF Comets surrounding S. system as a shell)

http://abyss.uoregon.edu/~js/ast121/lectures/lec24.html

Check Up

1. List 3 reasons why Pluto is an “odd-ball”

2. What is Pluto now considered?

3. What 2 places can you find comets?

4. Describe a KBO – where do you find them?

 • Birth of the Solar System (National Geographic) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1AXbpYndGc• Planets form (Condensation Temps): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5nCMCZSVxg

•  • Massive Solar Storms (National Geographic) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU4hpsistDk&feature=relmfu

• Massive Solar Storms http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU4hpsistDk&feature=list_related&playnext=1&list=SL