ASTA01H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Star System, Meteoroid, Radiation Pressure
Document Summary
We live in a stellar system with 8 major planets and a number of dwarf planets, as well as some left over material from the formation of the system. The planets in the solar system are divided into two main categories: terrestrial planets and the jovian planets. Terrestrial planets are made of rock and metals while the jovian planets are primarily made of gas. The four inner planets, mercury, venus, earth and mars are called the terrestrial planets. They are small, have high densities and are primarily made of rock. Earth is the biggest of the terrestrial planets while venus, having a radius 95% that of the. Jupiter, saturn, uranus and neptune are called the jovian planets. Jupiter and saturn are gas giants while uranus and neptune are ice giants. The gas giants have cores of heavy elements, surrounded by liquid hydrogen within a thick shell of gaseous hydrogen.
