2024F Unit 7 Terrestrial Planets (part 1)

Terrestrial Planets

The four inner planets of the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, characterized by their rocky composition.

Mercury's Atmosphere

Mercury has a very thin and tenuous atmosphere, primarily composed of hydrogen, helium, and trace amounts of other elements.

Caloris Basin

A large impact feature on Mercury, approximately 1300 km in diameter, formed by a significant impact event.

Orbital Period of Mercury

The time it takes for Mercury to complete one orbit around the Sun, which is 88 Earth days.

Unique Rotation of Mercury

Mercury has a 3:2 spin-orbit resonance, meaning it rotates three times on its axis for every two orbits around the Sun.

Venus's Atmosphere

Venus has a thick, dense atmosphere primarily composed of carbon dioxide, contributing to extreme heat and pressure.

Venus's Retrograde Rotation

Venus rotates in the opposite direction to most planets, possibly due to a significant impact or tidal forces.

Surface Temperature of Venus

Venus maintains an average surface temperature of approximately 462°C (864°F), making it the hottest planet in the solar system.

Mercury's Magnetic Field

Mercury possesses a weak magnetic field, only about 1% of Earth's, attributed to the liquid outer core.

Hollows on Mercury

Mysterious young features on Mercury possibly resulting from sublimation or radiational erosion.

Atmospheric Circulation on Venus

Circulation in Venus's atmosphere is dominated by two large convection currents, as well as strong winds reaching up to 400 km/h.

Geological Features of Mercury

Mercury shows a lot of geological diversity including craters, volcanic plains, and strange polar craters containing water ice.

Mass of Mercury

Mercury has a mass of 3.285 × 10^23 kg, making it the smallest terrestrial planet in the solar system.

Inferior/Superior Conjunction

An astronomical event describing the positioning of planets in relation to the Sun and Earth.

Venus Diameter

Venus has a diameter of approximately 12,104 km, making it slightly smaller than Earth.

Goldilocks Zone

The habitable zone around a star where conditions are just right for liquid water, exemplified by Earth.

Weather on Venus

Despite the thick clouds, Venus experiences high winds and acid rain; however, ground-level conditions are relatively calm.

Craters on Mercury

Mercury, the most heavily cratered terrestrial planet, features zones of intense cratering alongside lava plains.

Year of Venus vs Day Length

A day on Venus (rotation period) is longer than a year (orbital period), taking 243 Earth days to rotate once.