Week 3: The Tools of Planetary Science

Notes taken on September 12th and September 14th.

Scape Telescope

A telescope in space that observes space without the barrier of the atmosphere.

This kind of telescope can be used to spot black holes and supernovae.

Gamma/X-Ray Telescope

This kind of telescope can be used to spot stars.

UV Telescope

This kind of telescope can be used to spot stars, planets, and galaxies.

Visible Light

This kind of telescope can be used to spot colder bodies.

Infrared Light Telescope

Satellite

A payload in space that carries various instruments.

Fly-By Satellite

A satellite that passes by a body to collect data. They can have multiple targets and have easier trajectories to design.

Orbiter

A satellite that targets a single body to collect data. They need complex deceleration to achieve orbits and need a secondary fuel source when they are in the object’s shadow.

Lander

A craft that lands on a body to collect data, is stationary, and is typically solar powered.

Rover

A craft that lands on a body to collect data, moves across the surface, and can be solar or nuclear powered.

Light Year

The distance that light travels in a year (9.46 × 10^12 km).

Parsec

3.26 light years

The Scientific Method

Data collection, hypothesis, prediction, test, theorize.

Flux

The amount of energy passing through a given area over some time, measured perpendicular to incoming energy.

Differentiation

When planets melt, the high density materials sinks while the low density materials rise.

Tidal Heating

Repeated deformation of a body due to the gravitational pull of another body causes friction to heat the interior.

Radioactive Decay

When this happens, released neutrons and protons are converted into energy.