Celestial Objects (Episode 1)

by Alma Nuradnan Pramudita

Science Education and Empowerment Center

Bandung
June 2010
 What can be found at sky?
 What are their physical properties?
Once Upon a Time
In a Morning ...
Look Up
Such a beautiful morning
sky view will never be
there with air pollution
and light pollution.

Bandung’s east sky simulation, 6°49’32” S 107°36’58” E, at June 9th 2010 5:00:30. Moon and Mercury
rise before Sun does. Simulation is generated with Stellarium software.
... just before noon ...
Look Up
Even at day, there are
celestial objects other than
Sun, hard to see since
hidden behind Sun’s glare.

Bandung’s east sky simulation, 6°49’32” S 107°36’58” E, at June 9th 2010 8:30:49. Simulation is
generated with Stellarium software.
... on evening ...
Look Up
Polluted air obstructs
night sky because the
particulates dim and
scatter light from celestial
objects.

Bandung’s east sky simulation, 6°49’32” S 107°36’58” E, at June 9th 2010 18:31:23. Venus is visible
after Sun sets. Simulation is generated with Stellarium software.
... at night
Look Up
Numerous city lamps
throw light upward,
hindering any observation
effort because lamps’
intensity far exceeds most
celestial objects’ intensity.

Bandung’s east sky simulation, 6°49’32” S 107°36’58” E, at June 9th 2010 21:34:18. Mars dan Saturn
can be seen in same area. Simulation is generated with Stellarium software.
 Look Up
Yes, although the the
names are written on the
simulation, the dim Uranus
and Neptune are beyond
human’s eyes to see.

Bandung’s east sky simulation, 6°49’32” S 107°36’58” E, at June 10th 2010 1:44:37. Jupiter is visible.
Simulation is generated with Stellarium software.
Main Base
 (Surachit)

Our Home
(NASA)

Earth’s body and atmosphere layers model.

mass : 5,9736 x 1024 kg

equatorial radius : 6378,1 km
polar radius : 6356,8 km
perihelion : 1,4709 x 108 km
Earth at 7 December 1972,
th
aphelion : 1,5210 x 108 km
taken by Apollo’s 17 crew from average atmosphere temp. : 15 °C
about 29000 km above Earth. atmosphere : N2, O2, Ar, etc
solids : SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, etc

Dr. David R. Williams, Earth Fact Sheet

(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, last edited May 20 2009, http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/earthfact.html)
th
 Our Home
(NASA)

(Plumbago)

Full Moon, part of the disk is behind Earth’s

atmosphere. The image is taken by astronauts
at Discovery shuttle.

Height and depth distribution of Earth’s surface. Highest lands are at

Himalaya, while deepest trenchs are at Pacific.
 Our Home (Wikimedia Commons)

(NASA)

Orbital parameters of Earth-Moon system. Moon’s

orbital plane is not at Earth’s orbital plane, but
inclined by 5,14°.

Earth’s rotation axis is not perpendicular to

the orbital plane; it’s inclined by 67,5°.
 Our Home (Marc Imhoff)

Illustration of light from

settlements at night on
Earth.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Comparison of Earth’s and Moon’s size with the distance between.

1) Earth’s Shape
What’s the ratio of Earth’s polar radius to equatorial radius? Then from the result, is Earth
spherical?

2) Earth’s Orbit
What’s the ratio of Earth’s perihelion to aphelion? Is Earth’s orbit circle?
The Lighthouse
 24/4,5 Ga
(NASA)

(Wikimedia Commons)

1) core, 2) radiative zone, 3) convective

zone, 4) photosphere, 5) chromosphere,
6) corona, 7) Sunspot, 8) Sun’s grain, 9)
prominence

Sun’s X ray, imaged with Yohkoh satellite.

mass : 1,981 x 1030 kg

average radius : 696000 km
effective temperatur : 5505 °C
elements : H, He, etc

Dr. David R. Williams, Sun Fact Sheet

(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, last edited September 1 2004, http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/sunfact.html)
st
24/4,5 Ga
(Luc Viatour) (JAXA/NASA)

Total solar eclipse of 11th August 1999.

Sun’s plasma filament, imaged with solar telescope Hinode.

24/4,5 Ga
(Lykaestria)

(NASA)

Sun emits light in all colours, but combination of

them is received by human’s eyes as white.

Solar eclipse image, taken with STEREO-B spacecraft.

3) Sun’s Size
What’s the ratio of Sun’s radius to Earth’s equatorial radius?
The Companion
Moon
(Luc Viatour)

(NASA)

Impact craters on Moon. The biggest in the image is named

Daedalus. Image is taken by crew of Apollo 11.

mass : 7,349 x 1022 kg

equatorial radius : 1738,1 km
Full Moon. polar radius : 1736,0 km
perigee : 3,633 x 105 km
apogee : 4,055 x 105 km
average temperature : -23 °C
solids : SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, etc

Dr. David R. Williams, Moon Fact Sheet

(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, last edited February 2 2010, http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/moonfact.html)
nd
 Moon

(Wikimedia Commons)

First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter

new Moon new Moon
(half Moon) (full Moon) (half Moon)
Moon

first half of Hijriyah month

Moon is at east of Sun and
sets after Sun does.

Moon rises/sets when

Sun sets/rises.

second half of Hijriyah month

Moon is at west of Sun and
sets before Sun does.
Moon
(Bill Anders)

(NASA)

Earth, imaged by crew at Apollo 8.

Lunokhod I, the first successful

space robotic mission.
4) Moon’s Size
What’s the ratio of Moon’s equatorial to Earth’s?

5) Moon’s Orbit
What’s the ratio of Moon’s perigee to apogee? Is Moon’s orbit circle?
The Small, Bold One
 (Bill Anders)

Mercury
(NASA/JPL)

Mercury’s layers, 1) crust, 2) mantle, 3)

core.

mass : 3,302 x 1023 kg

equatorial radius : 2439,7 km
polar radius : 2439,7 km
Mercury, imaged with MESSENGER spacecraft.
perihelion : 4,600 x 107 km
aphelion : 6,982 x 107 km
average temperature : 167 °C

Dr. David R. Williams, Mercury Fact Sheet

(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, last edited February 2 2010, http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/mercuryfact.html)
nd
Mercury
(NASA)

(Mila Zinkova)

Mariner 10, first spacecraft ever

visited Mercury.

(NASA)

Transit of Mercury to Sun. Mercury

appears as tiny, insignificant dot in the
center, clearly smaller than Sunspot. Assembly of MESSENGER. It was launched
at 2004.
6) Mercury’s Size
What’s the ratio of Mercury’s equatorial to Earth’s?

7) Mercury’s Orbit
What’s the ratio of Mercury’s aphelion to Earth’s?
Worldly Hell
 (NASA)

Venus
(NASA/Ricardo Nunes)

Venus’ surface, taken by imaging in radio

wavelength, which is able to pass through
Venus’ atmosphere.

mass : 4,8685 x 1024 kg

equatorial radius : 6051,8 km
polar radius : 6051,8 km
perihelion : 1,0748 x 108 km
Venus. The surface is not visible given the thick and aphelion : 1,0894 x 108 km
opaque atmosphere. average atmosphere temp. : 464 °C
atmosphere : CO2, N2, SO2, etc

Dr. David R. Williams, Venus Fact Sheet

(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, last edited April 15 2005, http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/venusfact.html)
th
 Venus (Mila Zinkova)

(NASA)

Venus is always the brightest point-like object among others.

Impact craters on Venus. On Venus, there will be no crater

smaller than 3 km since only big meteorites are able to pass
the thick atmosphere.
 (NASA)

Venus

(NASA/JPL)

Pioneer, launched at December 4th 1978.

(USSR)

Mariner 2, launched at August 27th 1962.

Venus’ surface, shot with camera on Venera 13.

8) Venus’ Size
What’s the ratio of Venus’ equatorial to Earth’s?

9) Venus’ Orbit
What’s the ratio of Venus’ aphelion to Earth’s?
Mars
Mars
(NASA)

(NASA)

Surface on Mars, imaged with Sojourner rover.

mass : 6,4185 x 1023 kg

equatorial radius : 3396,2 km
polar radius : 3376,2 km
perihelion : 2,0662 x 108 km
aphelion : 2,4923 x 108 km
Mars, imaged with Hubble Space Telescope.
average atmosphere temp. : -63 °C
atmophere : CO2, N2, Ar, etc

Dr. David R. Williams, Mars Fact Sheet

(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, last edited November 29th 2007, http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/marsfact.html)
 (NASA)

Mars
The atmosphere is visible
from low orbit.

Olympus Mons, highest mountain

in Solar System, 27 km high, 500
km wide.

(NASA)

(NASA/JPL/Cornell Univ.)
Victoria Crater, 800 m wide, imaged with Opportunity
rover.
 (NASA)

Mars
(NASA)

Environment around Viking rover.

(NASA)

Spirit lander, imaged with the rover, moving

away from the lander.

Phobos and Deimos, Mars’ satellites.

 (NASA/JPL)

Mars

Martian sunset, imaged with Spirit rover. Solar panel and robotic arm of Phoenix rover are visible.

(NASA)
Mars Ha Ha Ha

Illustration by Alvim Correa for H.G. Wells’ novel

War of the Worlds, depicting attack unit of Mars.

Soap advertising from 1893.

10) Mars’s Size
What’s the ratio of Mars’ equatorial to Earth’s?

11) Mars’ Orbit

What’s the ratio of Mars’ aphelion to Earth’s?
The Big Guy
 (NASA/R. J. Hall)

Jupiter
(NASA)

Jupiter’s layers. Jupiter’s core is solid,

with hydrogen layers on it.

mass : 1,8986 x 1027 kg

equatorial radius : 71492 km
polar radius : 66854 km
perihelion : 7,4052 x 108 km
Jupiter, with enhancement by USGS to reveal
aphelion : 8,1662 x 108 km
prominent features.
average atmosphere temp. : -108 °C (1 bar)
elements : H2, He, CH4, etc

Dr. David R. Williams, Jupiter Fact Sheet

(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, last edited November 2nd 2007, http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/jupiterfact.html)
 (NASA/JPL/Cornell Univ.)

Jupiter
(NASA)

Jupiter’s rings scheme.

(NASA)

Great Red Spot, imaged with Voyager 1.

Jovian aurora, imaged with Hubble Space Telescope.

12) Jupiter’s Size
What’s the ratio of Jupiter’s equatorial to Earth’s?

13) Jupiter’s Orbit

What’s the ratio of Jupiter’s aphelion to Earth’s?
Primadona
Saturn (NASA/R. J. Hall)

(NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute)

Saturnus, imaged with Cassini spacecraft.

mass : 5,6846 x 1026 kg

equatorial radius : 60268 km
Four of tens Saturnian satellites fit in Cassini’s field of view.
polar radius : 54364 km
perihelion : 1,35255 x 109 km
aphelion : 1,51450 x 109 km
average atmosphere temp. : -139 °C (1 bar)
elements : H2, He, CH4, etc

Dr. David R. Williams, Saturn Fact Sheet

(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, last edited November 23rd 2007, http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/saturnfact.html)
14) Saturn’s Size
What’s the ratio of Saturn’s equatorial to Earth’s?

15) Saturn’s Orbit

What’s the ratio of Saturn’s aphelion to Earth’s?
Terima Kasih
gocodealpha@yahoo.com
gocodealpha.blogspot.com