PHYC 2451 Chapter Notes - Chapter 14: Astronomical Object, Kuiper Belt, Retrograde And Prograde Motion
23 Dec 2015
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Discovery of the outer planets: uranus was discovered by chance, while neptune was discovered at a location predicted by applying newtonian mechanics. Presumably the low temperatures have caused almost all the ammonia to precipitate into the interiors of the planets. All of these planets" clouds are composed of methane: much more cloud activity is seen on neptune than on uranus. This is because uranus lacks a substantial internal heat source. Uranus and neptune: both uranus and neptune may have a rocky core surrounded by a mantle of water and ammonia. Electric currents in these mantles may generate the magnetic fields of the planets: the magnetic axes of both uranus and neptune are steeply inclined from their axes of rotation. The magnetic and rotational axes of all the other planets are more nearly parallel. The magnetic fields of uranus and neptune are also offset from the centers of the planets. Such collisions could have knocked uranus on its side.
