Pluto – Common Misconceptions

Posted on April 6, 2024 by James Bamshad

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Pluto has long been a very mysterious planets to both scientists and the general population. Because of this, many misconceptions have risen throughout the years. In this blog post, I will cover a few of the most popular myths, both scientific and fun.

  1. Pluto was named after the Disney Dog (hence the photo attached)
    • Pluto was discovered in 1930, the same year the famous dog was introduced on Disney. This caused much confusion whether the dog was named after the planet or whether the planet was named after the dog. However, the dog’s name was actually changed to Pluto in 1931, following the discovery of the planet.
  2. Pluto is always dark
    • This has been a common misconception for a long time, due to Pluto’s distance from the sun. It orbits more than 3 billion miles away from the sun, on average. Consequently, people assume that it is constantly dark on the planet. However, although is not as bright as the Earth on a sunny day, it still has as much sun as a gloomy day on Earth.
  3. Pluto is completely made of ice
    • This misconception came from the fact that Pluto’s surface is covered by ice. It is comprised of frozen nitrogen and methane. However, the density of Pluto is more than double the density of an “ice planet”. This has let us to debunk the myth that Pluto is an ice planet, as its composition leads us to believe that Pluto has a rocky inside with an icy shell.
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Differences Between the Oort Cloud and Kuiper Belt

Posted on April 5, 2024 by katie shapiro

There are as many comets in the sky as fishes in the ocean.

-Johannes Kepler

Diagrammed Illustration of the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud: European Space Agency

Going into this class I knew that comets came from the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud, however, I never put much thought into why comets are in these two areas. For some context, comets are considered “dirty snowballs” because they are made up of ice and rocky dust. Additionally, when they enter warmer temperatures, they can form comas and occasionally tails, due to radiation and solar wind from the sun. As for their location, about a trillion comets are located within the Oort Cloud. The Oort Cloud is located in the outer part of the solar system, far beyond the orbit of Neptune. These comets are considered to be in the coldest parts of the solar system due to their great distance from the sun. These comets are very interesting because they have no real pattern to them. For example, they can orbit the sun in opposite directions of planets and have random elliptical orbits. This is because these comets actually originated near the jovian planets. When they formed here, there were many collisions, but they also had many gravitational encounters with these jovian planets. The effects of these encounters were that they were flung to the outer part of the solar system, called the Oort Cloud. The way that these comets were randomly tossed to extremely far distances is the reason as to why these comets have no set pattern. These comets are so close to the brink of the solar system that they can even be effected gravitationally by nearby stars. Additionally, some of the comets that are flung are tossed so far that they actually leave the solar system, which is so interesting to think that the jovian planets have this much power! In contrast the Kuiper Belt is a bit different and formed closer to the orbit of Neptune. These comets originated in this belt and are different from the Oort Cloud comets because they actually have a pattern to them. For example, they orbit in the same direction of the planets and have a more ordered elliptical orbits. This is because these comets are less likely to be effected by the significant gravitational encounters of the jovian planets, preventing them from being thrown to the outer solar system, in contrast to the Oort Cloud comets. Although they are not as affected from these gravitational encounters, orbital resonances still impact these comets. This can then potentially cause comets from this area to enter the inner solar system. This is an interesting idea because it can help explain how the terrestrial planets have acquired such complex molecules. For example, Earth has acquired complex carbon compounds in addition to water. There is a possibility that these comets actually brought inner solar system planets these compounds and has helped to sustain life on Earth!

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Some things never change…

Posted on April 5, 2024 by Abbie!!

Asteroids are rocky leftover pieces from the planetary formation era that never ended up becoming planets. They orbit our Sun out in the asteroid belt, but they are too small and weirdly shaped (thanks to impacts!) to be classified as planets. To give a sense of the size range of asteroids, the largest asteroid, Ceres, is 1000km in diameter, and most asteroids are much smaller than that. (Fun fact: Ceres’s mass is approximately the mass of every other asteroid combined.) Compared to Earth, which is 12,742 km in diameter, these asteroids are tiny!

Here are some famous asteroids, to give you a sense of what we’re talking about!! (Image credit: Wikipedia)

But why do we even care about these potato-looking space chunks? Asteroids help us understand how our solar system formed, because they have stayed the same since the beginning of our solar system. By examining the properties of asteroids, we can uncover details about our solar system’s formation and compositions. Only a select few asteroid masses are actually known (by using our favorite equation: Newton’s Version of Kepler’s 3rd Law!!), but those masses help scientists estimate other asteroid masses, calculate densities, and therefore use those densities to figure out the compositions!! Asteroids are made of rock and metal, since these materials could condense beyond the frost line.

One interesting thing is that we have studied meteorites (asteroids that have made their way to Earth), and we have observed several different categories of meteorites. There are meteorites that contain small bits of water and carbon-rich compounds, which are essential for life to exist. The fact that we have water and life on Earth can be explained by the fact that those asteroids, which formed beyond the frost line, brought us water and the compounds needed for life!!

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Titan’s Tremendous Atmosphere and its Striking Similarity to Earth

Posted on April 5, 2024 by katie shapiro
Photograph of Titan taken by Cassini Spacecraft: infrared and ultraviolet wavelength

One of the most fascinating things that I have learned from this unit was the diversity that are the jovian moons. Originally, I believed moons to be rocky, non geologically active objects that orbited planets. Although this is the case for some moons, especially the smaller ones, some moons hold very unique characteristics, such as Titan. Something that stood out to me from Titan was its atmosphere. It is very uncommon for moons to have a substantial atmosphere. However, that is not the case for Titan. From the picture above, it is evident that titan has a very thick atmosphere. Interestingly, Titan’s atmosphere contains around 95% of molecular nitrogen, which is a lot! Not only is this a lot of nitrogen , but this number holds similarities to Earth’s atmosphere, where our planet holds around 77% of nitrogen. One big difference between the two is that earth has oxygen and Titan does not. Additionally, Titan’s atmosphere holds other complex molecules such as ethane, methane, and argon. Firstly, these gases make up Titan’s atmosphere due to gases vaporizing from the surface of this moon. Once the gas enters the atmosphere, ultraviolet light breaks down these molecules, so that hydrogen is able to thermally escape the atmosphere of Titan, leaving nitrogen, methane, and ethane in the atmosphere. For this moon, ethane and methane play a very interesting role, which is unlike anything seen from other moons. The ethane and methane are greenhouse gases, that in the right conditions, have the ability to rain down onto the surface of the moon. This liquid ethane and methane can then flow on the moon’s surface. This was such an interesting thing to learn because the ethane and methane cycle is similar to what is seen with the water cycle on Earth. This finding was established after observing polar storms, especially near the northern pole. The convection of warm air rising ultimately cause ethane and methane to rain down onto the surface of the moon. Although it is not water that is raining down, the ability to have a similar cycle to Earth is astonishing and it raises questions as to the possibility of life on Titan. Although it could be possible to have life, Titan’s temperature is so low and has a lack of surface liquid water (possibility of subsurface ocean), that this idea is not likely. However, I think this moon was one of the most incredible moons I have learned because of its striking similarity to the atmosphere and cycles on our home planet, Earth!

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Blog 6: Io!

Posted on April 5, 2024 by Nicholas Fleisher

In this blog post, I’d like to talk about the BEST Galilean moon: Io. As I’m sure we all know, Io is known as the volcanic world of Jupiter’s moons. It holds large numbers of volcanoes, and frequent eruptions that repave the surface. In fact, its surface is relatively young with no impact craters. As for any tectonics, Io probably has some tectonic activity, because it usually accompanies volcanism, but debris from eruptions probably buried most of the tectonic features. The volcanoes on Io are also accompanied by outgassing, mainly sulfur dioxide, sulfur, and some sodium. Some of these chemical escape into space where it supplied ionized gas (plasma) to Io Torus and Jupiter’s atmospheres, which gives Io its thin atmosphere. But much of the gas condenses and falls to the surface. This explains that sulfur gives Io its distinctive red and orange colors and sulfur dioxide makes a white frost. Additionally, when the hot lava flows across the surface, it re-vaporizes the sulfur dioxide surface ice in much of the same way that lava flowing into the ocean vaporizes water on earth. Io’s low gravity and thin atmosphere also contributes to allowing the tall plumes of vaporized sulfur dioxide to raise upward to high altitudes. 

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To explain Io’s internal heat, its size probably contributes a minimal role since it is only the size of a dead moon, so it lost any heat from birth and is too small for radioactivity to provide ongoing heat. Therefore, its source of internal heat must be from tidal heating, which arises from effects of the tidal forces exerted by Jupiter. The tidal force makes Io keep the same face toward Jupiter as it orbits, and Jupiter’s mass makes this force really strong. Io’s orbit is also slightly elliptical because of orbital resonances. Io completes 4 orbits of Jupiter in the same time (7 days) that Europa completes 2 orbits and Ganymede completes 1. The three moons line up periodically, and in each they exert gravitational tugs on each other in same direction, which adds up overtime to stretch out their orbits and make them slightly elliptical. 

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Blog 5: Jovian Magnetospheres

Posted on April 5, 2024 by Nicholas Fleisher

For this blog post, I’m going to be talking about the relative magnetospheres of the Jovian planets. As we have learned with terrestrials, magnetic fields are generated by motions of charged particles deep in their planet’s interiors. These magnetic fields create magnetospheres, which are like huge bubble that surround the whole planet and shield it from solar wind. Jupiter by far has the strongest magnetic field in our solar system, roughly 20,000 times as strong as Earth’s! Magnetospheres require an interior region of electrically conducting fluid, convection in the layer of fluid, and moderately rapid rotation. For Jupiter, the fluid region is a thick layer of metallic hydrogen. The extent of the region with rapid rotation explains the strength of the magnetic field, explaining Jupiter’s enormous magnetosphere. Jupiter’s traps far more charged particles than Earth’s because Earth lacks its source of particles. All charged particles in Earth’s magnetosphere comes from solar wind, but in Jupiter’s case it is from the volcanically active moon, Io. The many particles that Io contributes create aurorae belts of intense radiation around Jupiter, damaging orbiting spacecrafts. The other jovian magnetospheres are much weaker than Jupiter’s but still stronger than Earth’s. It depends on the size of electrically conducting layer buried in its interior. Saturn’s is weaker because it has a thinner layer of electrically conducting metallic hydrogen. Uranus and Neptune don’t have any metallic hydrogen, so their weak magnetic field must be generated in their core ocean of hydrogen compounds, rock, and metal. The size of a planet’s magnetosphere not only depends on magnetic field strength, but on pressure of the solar wind against it. Despite the weak magnetic field strength of farther planets, their magnetosphere bubbles are larger than they would be if closer to the sun. However, no other magnetosphere is full of charged particles like Jupiter’s still, because no other jovian planet has a satellite like Io. 

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Put a ring on it!! 🪐

Posted on April 4, 2024 by Abbie!!

When I think of rings, the first planet that comes to mind is Saturn. Saturn has the most impressive rings out of all the Jovian planets in our solar system. (In fact, Saturn’s rings are so prominent that I sometimes forget that other Jovian planets also have rings!!)

First, let’s talk about the properties of rings that all Jovian planets share. All rings lie in the equatorial plane of the planet (just like moons do!), and the ring particles have circular orbits with some small variations in tilts. Rings are made of particles of all sizes, that astronomers think comes from “moonlets” (a tiny moon) and random collisions that chip off particles from those. Those particles get captured by planets’ tidal and gravitational forces. Something cool to note is that all rings lie within 2-3 planetary radii of the planet they belong to, which can be explained by gravitational forces holding them there!

Up-close and personal view of Saturn’s rings!! (Photo credit: Getty)

Saturn’s rings are huge (spanning 270,000 km in diameter!! wow!), given that the planet itself is one of the largest in our solar system. However, the rings are only 10-ish meters tall. In fact, if we look at Saturn straight in line with the rings, we can barely see them. The reason for how thin Saturn’s rings are is because the ring particles will collide in their orbits. Don’t worry, these collisions are pretty gentle! These particles all orbit at around the same speed in the same direction. Collisions of particles make the two particles change their speed/locations into their average, and continual collisions will keep all the particles in the same plane. The rings are actually shaped with the help of shepherd moons, which are tiny objects that keep the particles contained and forms the shape of the rings we know and love. 🪐 ❤

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Blog 4: Systema Cosmicum

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Seth Creech

History Channel Portrait of Galileo

Galileo was one of, if not the most revolutionary astronomer of all time. He lived at a point where the Catholic Church controlled a large section of public and private life, but they were also seeing their power wane through the Protestant Reformation, championed by Martin Luther (among others). The Catholic clergymen were worried, and Galileo did nothing to squash that fear. His book Systema Cosmicum posited that the Copernican theory of heliocentrism was in fact preferable over any geocentric model, and he gave ample (though sometimes erroneous) proof of this.

In most previous astronomical work, it had been assumed that the Solar System was a perfect system because it was in the heavens, and biases surrounding the nature of such perfection naturally snuck their way into Science. For example, it was believed that planets were all perfectly spherical with no deformities, and that they all orbited around the Earth in perfect circles rather than ellipses. The Earth, which was seen to be the center of God’s creation, was naturally put in the center of the Solar System models, creating unreasonably complicated mathematics around explaining the motion of other planets.

Systema Cosmicum was put on the Index of Forbidden Books by the Catholic Church because of how it depicted the Pope (who’s ideas are represented by the character Simplicio in the book) and because it championed the idea that astronomers and philosophers (chiefly Aristotle, who the Catholic Church was based upon) had been wrong about both geocentrism and the idea of perfection in the celestial bodies. Through pointing out the existence of sunspots and mountains on the Moon, Galileo was able to show that there was nothing perfect about the Solar System, or at least not perfect in the way that the Catholic Church and leading astronomers had posited for hundreds of years. Galileo was called a heretic for his beliefs, and would be sentenced to house arrest for the remainder of his life.

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Blog #4

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Robert Navarro

Composition

-The solar system is primarily composed of the Sun, which makes up about 99.8% of its total mass. The Sun is primarily composed of 74% hydrogen and about 24% helium with some amounts of heavier elements. Planets in our solar system are divided into two main groups based on their composition: the terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) which are mostly composed of rocky materials, and metals, and the Jovian planets, (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) which are primarily composed of hydrogen, helium, with relatively low densities compared to terrestrial planets. Dwarf planets like Pluto, as well as small bodies like asteroids and comets, are composed of rock, metal, and ice, with some containing organic compounds. Moons can have diverse compositions that can be ranging from rocky bodies similar to asteroids to even icy bodies. The asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter, contains rocky and metallic objects that are remnants from the early solar system, while the Kuiper Belt, beyond Neptune, contains icy bodies and dwarf planets.

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Blog 4

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Julian Delamaza
Dr. Suess’ genius

In first grade, I was really mad. Honestly, I was INFURIATED. I had just heard that they had officially reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet. For me, that meant that the pneumonic device I learned from my Dr. Suess’ book was a complete lie. In reality, the reclassification of Pluto was much more informative and logical than first grade me realized. 

Before the reclassification, we saw Pluto as a round object and thus classified it as a planet. But after discovering the surface of the planet as extremely icy (like asteroids) and that it has an extremely small mass, the only real difference was that the object was slightly larger than its Kuiper Belt counterparts. The new classification allows astronomers to group objects that have a large enough mass to be round, but do not possess any of the other characteristics of a planet within our solar system. The reclassification honestly gave me more questions about our solar system and the universe, leaving me eager to learn more about it all. Maybe making me a little angry helped me learn more afterall.

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