Post on 01-Jan-2016
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ASTR 1101-001Spring 2008
Joel E. Tohline, Alumni Professor
247 Nicholson Hall
[Slides from Lecture30]
Chapter 11: Terrestrial Planets
• Mercury– Heavily cratered (like the Earth’s moon)– Some evidence of lava flows and shrinkage of
the planet’s crust– Generally considered a “dead” planet
• Venus
• Mars
Chapter 11: Terrestrial Planets
• Mercury– Heavily cratered (like the Earth’s moon)– Some evidence of lava flows and shrinkage of
the planet’s crust– Generally considered a “dead” planet
• Venus
• Mars
Chapter 11: Terrestrial Planets
• Mercury– Heavily cratered (like the Earth’s moon)– Some evidence of lava flows and shrinkage of
the planet’s crust– Generally considered a “dead” planet
• Venus
• Mars
Chapter 11: Terrestrial Planets
• Mercury– Heavily cratered (like the Earth’s moon)– Some evidence of lava flows and shrinkage of
the planet’s crust– Generally considered a “dead” planet
• Venus
• Mars
Chapter 11: Terrestrial Planets
• Venus– Rotating very slowly…and backwards!– Atmosphere: Dense, hot, and corrosive!– Properties of atmosphere due to runaway
“greenhouse” effect
• Venus
• Mars
Venus:
Image of the surface of Venus obtained by radar imaging.
Venus: topographic map
Chapter 11: Terrestrial Planets
• Venus– Rotating very slowly…and backwards!– Atmosphere: Dense, hot, and corrosive!– Properties of atmosphere due to runaway
“greenhouse” effect
• Venus
• Mars
Chapter 11: Terrestrial Planets
• Venus– Rotating very slowly…and backwards!– Atmosphere: Dense, hot, and corrosive!– Properties of atmosphere due to runaway
“greenhouse” effect
• Venus
• Mars
Atmospheres of Earth & Venus
Venus:
Ultraviolet image of Venus highlighting theCloud layer structure.
Chapter 11: Terrestrial Planets
• Venus– Rotating very slowly…and backwards!– Atmosphere: Dense, hot, and corrosive!– Properties of atmosphere due to runaway
“greenhouse” effect
• Venus
• Mars
Chapter 11: Terrestrial Planets
• Mars– Surface imaged by spacecraft extremely well– Surface explored by spacecraft that have
successfully soft-landed on surface• Viking Lander (VL1 & VL2)• Mars Pathfinder (MP)• Exploration Rovers (Opportunity & Spirit)
– Evidence for (subsurface) water
Chapter 11: Terrestrial Planets
• Mars– Surface imaged by spacecraft extremely well– Surface explored by spacecraft that have
successfully soft-landed on surface• Viking Lander (VL1 & VL2)• Mars Pathfinder (MP)• Exploration Rovers (Opportunity & Spirit)
– Evidence for (subsurface) water
Chapter 11: Terrestrial Planets
• Mars– Surface imaged by spacecraft extremely well– Surface explored by spacecraft that have
successfully soft-landed on surface• Viking Lander (VL1 & VL2)• Mars Pathfinder (MP)• Exploration Rovers (Opportunity & Spirit)
– Evidence for (subsurface) water
Chapter 11: Terrestrial Planets
• Mars– Surface imaged by spacecraft extremely well– Surface explored by spacecraft that have
successfully soft-landed on surface• Viking Lander (VL1 & VL2)• Mars Pathfinder (MP)• Exploration Rovers (Opportunity & Spirit)
– Evidence for (subsurface) water
Chapter 11: Terrestrial Planets
• Mars– Surface imaged by spacecraft extremely well– Surface explored by spacecraft that have
successfully soft-landed on surface• Viking Lander (VL1 & VL2)• Mars Pathfinder (MP)• Exploration Rovers (Opportunity & Spirit)
– Evidence for (subsurface) water
Chapter 11: Terrestrial Planets
• Mars– Surface imaged by spacecraft extremely well– Surface explored by spacecraft that have
successfully soft-landed on surface• Viking Lander (VL1 & VL2)• Mars Pathfinder (MP)• Exploration Rovers (Opportunity & Spirit)
– Evidence for (subsurface) water
Rover ‘Opportunity’: Landing Site
Rover ‘Opportunity’: Four+ years of travel
Rover ‘Opportunity’: Four+ years of travel
Rover ‘Opportunity’: View from edge of Victoria Crater
Chapter 11: Terrestrial Planets
• Mars– Surface imaged by spacecraft extremely well– Surface explored by spacecraft that have
successfully soft-landed on surface• Viking Lander (VL1 & VL2)• Mars Pathfinder (MP)• Exploration Rovers (Opportunity & Spirit)
– Evidence for (subsurface) water