Exploring the Outer Solar System: A Deep Dive into Titan, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, Study notes of Astronomy

Download Exploring the Outer Solar System: A Deep Dive into Titan, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto and more Study notes Astronomy in PDF only on Docsity! Key Concepts: Lecture 18: Jovian Planets (cont.) and Outer Solar System Titan (Saturn), Triton (Neptune); the smaller moons Uranus and Neptune Pluto and Dwarf Planets Saturn • 19+ satellites – 7 satellites in regular orbits • Titan is the largest • Titan only one with atmosphere – Several small moons orbit near rings – 2 distant irregular satellites in retrograde orbit • Beautiful set of rings – broad & flat – huge collection of icy pieces in orbit around equator Titan • Largest satellite of Saturn • similar size, mass & density as Callisto • composition - rock & ice • Substantial atmosphere HST -IR Titan’s Atmosphere • Active atmospheric chemistry • Mostly nitrogen – Also some carbon monoxide, methane, ethane, hydrogen cyanide, cyanogen • Thick - atmospheric surface pressure higher than Earth • multiple cloud layers – methane • due to low temperatures - may be liquid methane oceans. Huygens Probe Visits Titan Jan 05 River channels Water ice & Methane springs Surface view Titan • Earth-like geology • chemistry involved is quite different • liquid methane instead of water • frozen water ice instead of silicate rock • hydrocarbon particles instead of dirt • volcanoes spew very cold ice & ammonia instead of lava Saturn’s Moons Mimas Tethys Rings of Saturn • Rings are thin - 20 m thick • 3 broad, bright rings – A, B, C • handful of narrow rings of which F is most substantial • Gaps between rings • Ring particles made up of ices and rock • Small “shepherd” moons can create very narrow rings