Composition of Planets

Composition of Planets

1. Voyager 1 & 2

   • Explore Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune
     • Discovered Jupiter great red spot is a storm
       • Active Volcanoes is Io
         • Europa has Intersecting linear features
           • Saturn Rings

2. Liquid then dust accrete

   • Chrondrites are different due to:
     • Specific temp and pressure zone of formation
     • DIfferentiation

3. Terrestrial Planets

   • Can't hold lighter elements in their atmosphere
     • Gravity is not great enough to hold these elements against solar wind.
   • Have Water
     • Delivered from outer solar system during acretion
       • Stable due to Habitable Zone
   • Venus is probably geologyically active

4. Other Objects

   • Kuniper Belt
     • Accumulation of small icy planetoids beyond neptune's orbit
   • Oort Cloud
     • Accumulation of icy planetesimals at 50K AU

5. New Horizons

   • First mission to Pluto and Kuiper Belt
     • built by students
       • Discovered 4 New moons of Pluto, ice volcanoes, low clouds, reflective snow, glaciers, mountain ranges