-
Home
- Astronomy
- The giant planets
- Atmospheres of the giant planets
In the Land of Enchantment: The Epic Story of the Cassini Mission to Saturn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx135n8VFxY. An inspiring illustrated lecture by Cassini Mission Imagining Lead Scientist Carolyn Porco (1:37:52).
Jupiter: The Largest Planet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s56pxa9lpvo. Produced by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and Science on a Sphere (7:29).
Collaborative group activities
- A new member of Congress has asked your group to investigate why the Galileo probe launched into the Jupiter atmosphere in 1995 survived only 57 minutes and whether this was an example of a terrible scandal. Make a list of all the reasons the probe did not last longer, and why it was not made more durable. (Remember that the probe had to hitch a ride to Jupiter!)
- Select one of the jovian planets and organize your group to write a script for an evening news weather report for the planet you chose. Be sure you specify roughly how high in the atmosphere the region lies for which you are giving the report.
- What does your group think should be the next step to learn more about the giant planets? Put cost considerations aside for a moment: What kind of mission would you recommend to NASA to learn more about these giant worlds? Which world or worlds should get the highest priority and why?
- Suppose that an extremely dedicated (and slightly crazy) astronomer volunteers to become a human probe into Jupiter (and somehow manages to survive the trip through Jupiter’s magnetosphere alive). As she enters the upper atmosphere of Jupiter, would she fall faster or slower than she would fall doing the same suicidal jump into the atmosphere of solid Earth? Groups that have some algebra background could even calculate the force she would feel compared to the force on Earth. (Bonus question: If she were in a capsule, falling into Jupiter feet first, and the floor of the capsule had a scale, what would the scale show as her weight compared to her weight on Earth?)
- Would you or anyone in your group volunteer for a one-way, life-long mission to a space station orbiting any of the gas giants without ever being able to return to Earth? What are the challenges of such a mission? Should we leave all exploration of the outer solar system to unmanned space probes?
Thought questions
Describe the differences in the chemical makeup of the inner and outer parts of the solar system. What is the relationship between what the planets are made of and the temperature where they formed?
Got questions? Get instant answers now!
Why would a tourist brochure (of the future) describing the most dramatic natural sights of the giant planets have to be revised more often than one for the terrestrial planets?
Got questions? Get instant answers now!
The water clouds believed to be present on Jupiter and Saturn exist at temperatures and pressures similar to those in the clouds of the terrestrial atmosphere. What would it be like to visit such a location on Jupiter or Saturn? In what ways would the environment differ from that in the clouds of Earth?
Got questions? Get instant answers now!
Describe the different processes that lead to substantial internal heat sources for Jupiter and Saturn. Since these two objects generate much of their energy internally, should they be called stars instead of planets? Justify your answer.
Got questions? Get instant answers now!
Research the Galileo mission. What technical problems occurred between the mission launch and the arrival of the craft in Jupiter’s system, and how did the mission engineers deal with them? (Good sources of information include
Astronomy and
Sky&Telescope articles, plus the mission website.)
Got questions? Get instant answers now!
Figuring for yourself
As the Voyager spacecraft penetrated into the outer solar system, the illumination from the Sun declined. Relative to the situation at Earth, how bright is the sunlight at each of the jovian planets?
Got questions? Get instant answers now!
The ions in the inner parts of Jupiter’s magnetosphere rotate with the same period as Jupiter. Calculate how fast they are moving at the orbit of Jupiter’s moon Io (see
Appendix G ). Will these ions strike Io from behind or in front as it moves about Jupiter?
Got questions? Get instant answers now!
Questions & Answers
how does the planets on our solar system orbit
how many Messier objects are there in space
Astronomy (from Ancient Greek ἀστρονομία (astronomía) 'science that studies the laws of the stars') is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution.
Rafael
what is big bang theory?
Rosemary
what type of activity astronomer do?
Rosemary
the big bang theory is a theory which states that all matter was compressed together in one place the matter got so unstable it exploded releasing All its contents in the form of hydrogen
Roaul
I want to be an astronomer. That's my dream
Astrit
Who named the the whole galaxy?
what is the dark matter
Richard
what are the factors upon which the atmosphere is stratified
bigbang is the beginning of the universe
Sokak
but thats just a theory
Sokak
nothing will happen, don't worry brother.
Vansh
these are Rocky substances between mars and jupiter
GANGAIN
Comets are cosmic snowballs of frozen gases , rock and dust that orbit the sun. They are mostly found between the orbits of Venus and Mercury.
Aarya
hey can anyone guide me abt international astronomy olympiad
sahil
how can we learn right and true ?
why the moon is always appear in an elliptical shape
Because when astroid hit the Earth then a piece of elliptical shape of the earth was separated which is now called moon.
Hemen
Did you mean eye sight or sea level
Minal
oh sorry it's sea level
lidiya
according to the theory of astronomers why the moon is always appear in an elliptical orbit?
Gatjuol
hi !!! I am new in astronomy....
I have so many questions in mind ....
all of scientists of the word they just give opinion only.
but they never think true or false ...
i respect all of them...
I believes whole universe depending
on true ...থিউরি
Govinda
we're all stars and galaxies a part of sun. how can science prove thx with respect old ancient times picture or books..or anything with respect to present time .but we r a part of that universe
w astronomy and cosmology!
Michele
another theory of universe except big ban
there many theory to born universe but what is the reality of big bang theory to born universe
Asmit
what is the exact value of π?
Nagalakshmi
there are many theories regarding this it's on you believe any theory that you think is true ex. eternal inflation theory, oscillation model theory, multiple universe theory the big bang theory etc.
Aarya
I think after Big Bang!
Michele
from where on earth could u observe all the stars during the during the course of an year
I think it couldn't possible on earth
Nagalakshmi
in this time i don't Know
Michele
is that so. the question was in the end of this chapter
Karuna
in theory, you could see them all from the equator (though over the course of a year, not at pne time). stars are measured in "declination", which is how far N or S of the equator (90* to -90*). Polaris is the North star, and is ALMOST 90* (+89*).
So it would just barely creep over the horizon.
Christopher
Source:
OpenStax, Astronomy. OpenStax CNX. Apr 12, 2017 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col11992/1.13
Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc.
