Assignment 9

Chapters 16 &17
Thomas Edison State College

Introductory Astronomy
AST-101-GS002
Semester - October 2013

1.)

Outline the solar nebula theory, and explain how the

characteristic properties of the solar system provide evidence

that supports that theory.
The solar nebula theory is the theory in which the planets of the
solar system were formed billions of years as the sun condensed from
interstellar medium. The planetary system formed from a shaped cloud
around the sun. When the sun became luminous enough, dust and gas
from the sun exploded, leaving planets to rotate around the sun. The
planets formed in rotating disks of gas and dusts around young stars.
The first evidence of these disks was bipolar flowing from protostars.
There are many characteristic properties of the solar system that
provides evidence to support the solar nebula theory. Characteristics
such as the stars in our solar system form from disks of gas and dust
around them which in turn the planets of the solar system would have
formed the same way. Another characteristic is the planets are tiny
specks of matter scattered by the sun. The way the solar system looks
is another characteristic, since the solar system is basically flat and
disk shape and the rotation of the planets is basically that of a disk
shape. The solar nebula included elements that composed rock and
metals and collisions play an important role in the solar systems
history if we look at asteroids we can see a lot. Also by looking at the
comets nuclei which are made up of ice one can conclude that solar
nebula had icy material.

2.)

Compare and contrast the Terrestrial Planets of Earth,

Mercury, Venus, and Mars. In what ways are they similar

enough to be classified together and how are they
different from one another?
Terrestrial planets are small dense, rocky worlds. All of the
terrestrial planets are made up of rocks and metal and are
differentiated which means they are separated into density layers, the
high density layer on the inside and the low density layer on the
outside. All of the terrestrial planets have similar structure of 3 basic
regions: a core of iron, a mantle of rock and a lithosphere or crust.
The terrestrial planets may be similar in some ways but are very
much different planets that differ in many characteristics. These small
worlds tend to be geologically inactive though it is not in the case of all
the terrestrial planets. Since Earth has heat flowing through the crust it
makes is geologically active but the Earths moon and Mercury cool
quickly inside so they have little heat flowing outward which makes it
geologically inactive. Mercury is smaller than Earth but larger than
Earths moon, Venus is nearly as large as Earth, and Mars about half
the size of Earth. Mercury and Earths moon has little to no atmosphere
while Venuss atmosphere is thicker than Earths atmosphere, and
Mars atmosphere is relatively thin. Venus, Earth, and Mars all have
volcanos located on them. Venuss air is about 100times denser than
that of Earths so life would not be able to sustain a living there. The
main difference between Earth and Venus is the lack of water on Venus
and Venus has no evidence of ever having water unlike the planet Mars

which does not have water but has evidence of water once being on
the planet.
References
Horizons: Exploring the Universe, 10th ed., by Michael A. Seeds
(Belmont, CA:
Brooks/Cole-Thompson Learning, 2008).