AST101H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 7: Methane, Solar Wind, Tidal Locking

• School: UTSG
• Department: Astronomy & Astrophysics
• Course: AST101H1
• Professor: Michael Reid

Document Summary

Comparative planetology = compare the worlds (planet) to one another, seeking to understand their similarities and differences. Our solar system exhibits many clear patterns. Composition: 98% hydrogen and helium, 2% other elements. The brightest and largest object in our solar system. Contains more than 99. 8% of the solar system"s total mass. The surface is speckled with sunspots that appear dark in photographs only because they are slightly cooler than their surroundings. The source of the sun"s energy lies deep in its core, where the temperatures and pressures are so high that the sun is a nuclear fusion power plant. Sun"s gravity governs the orbits of the planets. Charged particles flowing outward from the sun (the solar wind) help shape planetary. It is the source of virtually all the visible light in our solar system magnetic fields and can influence planetary atmospheres. The innermost planet of our solar system, and the smallest of the eight official planets.