Earth science

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The Solar System

 The terrestrial planets are planets that are small and rocky—Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.

 The Jovian planets are the huge gas giants—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

 Pluto does not fit into either the Jovian or the terrestrial category.

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Orbits of the Planets

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The Solar System

 Size is the most obvious difference between the terrestrial and Jovian planets.

 Density, chemical makeup, and rate of rotation are other ways in which the two groups of planets differ.

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Planetary Data

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23.1 The Solar System

 The Interiors of the Planets

• The substances that make up the planets are divided into three groups: gases, rocks, and ices.

 The Atmosphere of the Planets

• The Jovian planets have very thick atmospheres of hydrogen, helium, methane, and ammonia.

• By contrast, the terrestrial planets, including Earth, have meager atmospheres at best.

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Scale of the Planets

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23.1 The Solar System

 Nebular Theory

• A nebula is a cloud of gas and/or dust in space.

• According to the nebular theory, the sun and planets formed from a rotating disk of dust and gases.

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23.1 The Solar System

 Planetesimals

• Planetesimals are small, irregularly shaped bodies formed by colliding matter.

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Formation of the Universe

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Planetary Composition, Distance from the Sun, and Melting Point

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The Terrestrial Planets

 Mercury is the innermost and second smallest planet; it is hardly larger than Earth’s moon.

• Mercury has cratered highlands, much like the moon, and vast smooth terrains that resemble maria.

• Mercury has the greatest temperature extremes of any planet.

 Surface Features

 Surface Temperatures

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