Terrestrial Planets

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Terrestrial Planets
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What Distinguishes a Terrestrial Planet

• Terrestrial Planets are the four planets closest
  to the sun Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.
• They are also known as the rocky or inner planets
• The terrestrial planets are composed primarily
  of rock and metal and have relatively high
  densities, slow rotation, solid surfaces, no
  rings and few satellite

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Comparisons to Jovian Planets
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Mercury

• Diameter4,878km
• Temperature from 450 to 180 C.
• One day58.6
• One year87.97
• Distinguishing Feature Polar Ice caps

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Venus

• Diameter 12,104km
• Temperature around 464 C.
• One day243
• One year224.7
• Distinguishing Feature retrograde rotation

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Earth

• Diameter 12,756km
• Temperature varies with area and season
• One day23 hours, 56 minutes
• One year365.25 days
• Distinguishing Feature Life

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Mars

• Diameter 6,794km
• Temperature from 20 to 63 C.
• One day24 hours 37 minutes
• One year686.98 
• Distinguishing Feature once had water flowing.

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Magnetic Dynamo

• A process in which electrical currents in the
  planet/star move through the convection zone. The
  magnetic field lines are then caught in the
  external particles. Their convection will then
  actually cause the field to diminish and at one
  time change polarity. This happens in the Earth
  every 105 years. (p426)

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Terms you should know

• Albedo- the ratio of reflected sunlight to
  incident sunlight.(p383)
• Green house effect- a significant warming due
  largely to water vapor(and CO2) in the
  atmosphere.(p768)
• Escape Temp.(dang math).eq 18.6 p769

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Things to take up extra time

• Structure of the earth, inner core, outer core,
  mantle(asthenosphere, lithoshere), crust.
• The moon.

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Websites of interest(ie my sources)

• http//www.solarviews.com/eng/solarsys.htm (best
  site)
• http//www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/overvi
  ew.html
• http//www.physics.gmu.edu/classinfo/astr103/Cours
  eNotes/ECText/ch08_txt.htm
• http//www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/1
  364/Terrestrial_Planets.html