The Solar System

what is planetary alignment and what causes it?

Planetary alignment refers to the position of planets in a straight line as viewed from a specific vantage point, usually Earth. It occurs due to the gravitational forces acting on the planets and their orbits around the Sun.

if the whole solar system weighs 100 kg how much could the planets, jupiter and the sun weigh?

Jupiter would weigh about 30 kg and the Sun about 70 kg based on their relative mass proportions in the solar system.

how big is the sun compared to other stars?

The Sun is classified as a G-type main-sequence star and is considered medium-sized. It is larger than about 90% of the stars in the universe, but it is dwarfed by massive stars like supergiants.

what is angular size?

Angular size refers to the apparent size of an object as seen from a specific point, measured as an angle. It is influenced by the object's actual size and its distance from the observer.

what is apparent size?

Apparent size is the perceived size of an object as viewed from a particular distance, often expressed in angular measurement, and can differ from its actual size due to distance and perspective.

how to calculate real-size

apparent-size times distance

how do we weigh celestial objects?

Weighing celestial objects involves using their gravitational effects, often calculated through their gravitational pull on nearby objects and observing their orbits.

how would we determine the mass of earth by measuring the speed of the satellite or moon?

we can determine the mass of earth by measuring the speed of the satellite by going around it at a certain distance r, we can measure the mass of a star by measuring the speed of a planet going around it

if there is a small vs large mass in which could the satellite go faster?

small mass the satellite would go slower in orbit and the large mass the satellite would go faster

what is the density of water for terrestrial planets? what is the density of gaseous planets and rocky planets?

The density of water is approximately 1 g/cm³ for terrestrial planets. Gaseous planets generally have lower densities, often less than 1 g/cm³, while rocky planets have higher densities, typically around 3 to 5 g/cm³.

what is the habitable zone?

the distance from the star where temperature is moderate - earth and mars are in the zone, goldilocks planets are those that lie in this zone where it’s possible that life could exist

what is the asteroid belt?

location of most asteroids in the solar system and asteroids are left over from the formation of the solar system

what is the kuiper belt?

the location of the comets in the solar system, it’s a disc-shaped region of icy bodies beyond the orbit of neptune, it ends from about 30-50 AU and is populated with 100, 000s of icy bodies larger than 100km

what is an oort cloud?

A vast reservoir of ice dwarfs and cometary nuclei with long periods and random orbits, its thought to be the source of long-period comets. a slight perturbation to the orbit of any of these comets could disturb comets and send them hurling into the inner solar system which could pose a deadly disaster,

what did voyagers 1 & 2 allow?

a 4 planet tour for a minimum of propellant and trip time which allowed to see the layout of jupiter, saturn, uranus, and neptune that occurs every 175 years

what are gravitational slingshots?

Gravitational slingshots, or gravity assists, are techniques used to increase a spacecraft's speed and alter its trajectory by utilizing the gravitational pull of planets. This method allows for more efficient travel across the solar system.