Astronomy Planet
Comparative Planetology
- Comparing/contrasting planets
- Goal is to understand how they are different, why they are different, and what we can learn from the differences
Terrestrial Planets
- Surfaces probably started out the same
- Rocky material
- Heavily bombarded
- What changed?
- Weather?
- Geological activity?
- Inside
- Measured with seismic waves
- Layers
- Magnetic fields
- Information about the inside
- Requirements
- Electrically conducting fluid
- Convection in that layer
- Moderately rapid rotation
Why they are different
- Size
- Bigger planets star warmer longer
- Leaders to more volcanism
- Outgassing
- Magnetic field
- Distance from the Sun
- Rain, snow, ice oceans
- Escape velocities
- Atmospheric layers can escape the gravity
- Rate of rotation