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Class Overview

  • Course: AST101: The Sun and its Neighbours

  • Instructor: Professor C. Barth Netterfield

  • Class Title: The Jovian Planets and their Moons

Introduction to Jovian Planets

  • Characteristics:

    • Composition: Mostly heavy elements (C, Si, Fe, Ni, O)

    • Atmosphere: Mostly solid with thin or no atmosphere

    • Mass and Spin: Low masses and spin slowly

    • Moons and Rings: Few or no moons, and no rings

Jupiter

  • Mass: Largest planet with a mass 317.8 times that of Earth.

  • Atmosphere: Thick gaseous atmosphere surrounds a giant core of liquid hydrogen.

    • Density increases toward the center.

    • Has faint rings.

  • Moons: 79 detected moons.

Interior Structure of Jupiter

  • Compression: The weight above compresses lower levels, transforming hydrogen under enough pressure from gas to liquid to metallic hydrogen.

  • Old Model Components:

    • Rocky core

    • Metallic hydrogen layer

    • Molecular hydrogen upper atmosphere

Juno Space Probe

  • Mission: Currently orbiting Jupiter, gathering data about its interior structure.

Jupiter's Atmospheric Features

  • Storms: Complex cloud systems and stable storms with winds reaching 500 km/h.

    • Storms can last for decades.

  • Cloud Composition: Different temperatures create various types of clouds:

    • Ammonia clouds are white.

    • Ammonium hydrosulfide clouds appear orange.

Saturn

  • Size: Second-largest planet, about 3.3 times less massive than Jupiter but similar in size.

  • Structure: Similar to Jupiter with prominent rings.

  • Moons: 82 named moons.

  • Rings: Diameter over 260,000 km, but thickness is less than 0.1 km.

Saturn's Unique Weather Patterns

  • Hexagon Storm: Located at Saturn’s North Pole, featuring a giant hurricane in the center.

Uranus

  • Characteristics:

    • Coldest planet with a small rocky core.

    • Thick mantle of water, ammonia, and methane.

    • Rotation axis tilted by 98 degrees.

    • Faint rings and numerous moons.

Neptune

  • Overview: Farthest planet, resembling Uranus but slightly warmer.

  • Wind Speeds: Strongest winds in the solar system, reaching up to 2,100 km/h.

Interiors of Ice Giants

  • Structure: Similar to Uranus, composed of Hydrogen, Helium, Methane gas. They contain:

    • Core: Rock and ice.

    • Frozen gases.

Moons of the Jovian Planets

  • Galilean Moons of Jupiter:

    • Io: Most geologically active in the solar system, with active volcanoes.

    • Europa: Has a smooth surface covered with un-cratered ice; potentially has a subsurface ocean.

    • Ganymede: Largest moon; surface shows cratering and geological activity.

    • Callisto: Heavily cratered, less geologically active.

  • Titan (Saturn’s Moon): Features thick clouds and a nitrogen-rich atmosphere; evidence of seas and changing coastlines.

  • Enceladus (Saturn’s Moon): Known for active methane geysers and high albedo.

Rings of the Jovian Planets

  • Jupiter: Also has faint rings that are barely visible.

  • Uranus and Neptune: Both have faint rings.

Conclusion

  • Jovian Planets: Demonstrate diverse characteristics and complex systems including notable moons and rings, contributing significantly to our understanding of planetary science in the solar system.