Lecture Notes in Science 2.

0 (EARTH & SPACE)

The Solar System

Models of the Solar System
 Geocentric model - the Earth is at the center of the universe; developed by Ptolemy
of Alexandria
 Heliocentric model - the Sun is at the center of the universe or Solar system;
developed by Nicolaus Copernicus

Planets of The Solar System

Terrestrial planets (inner planets) - have few or no moons; have a rocky surface; have no
rings (e.g. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars)
Jovian planets or Gas giants (outer planets) - mostly gaseous; have numerous moons
and rings (e.g. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune)
Planets Characteristics
Mercury smallest and fastest rotating planet; has no moons
Venus hottest planet due to its thick atmosphere; slowest rotating
planet; Earth’s twin planet; has no moons
Earth the only planet inhabited by living things; has one moon
Mars has the solar system’s tallest mountain (Olympus Mons); has two
moons (Phobos and Deimos)
Jupiter largest planet; has more than 75 moons (Ganymede - largest
moon in the Solar System)
Saturn second-largest planet; has the most spectacular ring system;
has 83 moons (Titan - Saturn’s largest moon)
Uranus discovered by William Herschel in 1781; has 27 known moons
Neptune first predicted by mathematics before its discovery; has 14
known moons

Dwarf planets - massive, round, and orbit the Sun, but have not cleared their orbital path;
e.g. Pluto, Ceres, Makemake, Haumea, and Eris
EARTH
 is a Germanic word which means “the ground”
 is an oblate spheroid (flattened sphere)
 is third planet from the Sun
 fifth largest planet in the Solar system
 has a diameter of about 12, 760 km.
 moves in two ways (rotates or revolves)
 completes one rotation on its axis (an imaginary line that extends from the North
Pole through the Earth to the South Pole) every 23 hours and 56 minutes
 completes one orbit or revolution, around the sun each year.
Perihelion - the closest point of earth’s orbit to the sun.
Aphelion - the farthest point of earth’s orbit to the sun.
 has one moon & has no rings.
 is surrounded by a magnetic field.
 is divided into time zones (the distance earth rotates in one hour) that begin at the
prime meridian.

- Day length is affected by the tilt of Earth’s axis and Earth’s position in its yearly orbit
around the sun.
- As earth revolves around the sun, its axis always points in the same direction. The tilt of
axis is also important for the changing of the seasons on earth.

Earth’s moon
Moon
 in Latin, it is called “Luna”
 is the natural satellite of the earth (satellite - object in space that moves around
another object)
 revolves around the earth in an orbit, in a west to east direction
 its gravity is about one-sixth that of earth
 its surface is barren and lifeless
 has many craters
 has an elliptical orbit around the earth. (It takes 27.3 days to complete a revolution,
but 29.5 days to change from New Moon to New Moon)
Moon’s movements:
Perigee - moon’s closest point to the earth.
Apogee - moon’s farthest point to the earth.

Earth-Moon system
Phases of the moon
- the moon seems to change its shape because, as it revolves around the earth, the
lighted path that we see increases or decreases in size.
new - > full = waxing
full - > new = waning

 New moon
 Waxing crescent
 First quarter
 Waxing gibbous
 Full moon
 Waning gibbous
 Last quarter
 Waning crescent

Eclipse - happens when one celestial body moves into the shadow of another celestial
body.
 Solar eclipse - occurs during a new moon. The moon is positioned between the
earth and the sun.
 Total solar eclipse - the moon completely blocks the view of the sun
 Partial solar eclipse - the moon only blocks a part of the sun

 Lunar eclipse - occurs during a full moon. The moon is not between the earth
and the sun. The earth is between the sun and the moon, and it casts a shadow
on the moon.
  Total lunar eclipse - the entire moon passes through the earth’s shadow
 Partial lunar eclipse - only a part of the moon passes through the earth’s
shadow
Other Celestial bodies
Stars - huge celestial bodies made mostly of hydrogen and helium (e.g. Sun)
Comets - balls of frozen gases, rock, and dust that orbit the Sun
Asteroids - also known as minor planets; rocky bodies that are remnants of the early
formation of the solar system
Asteroid belt - region of the solar system between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Meteoroids - remnants o comets and asteroids
Meteor - also known as shooting stars; meteoroids that enter the Earth’s atmosphere
Meteorite - meteoroid that hits the ground