Space Physics

LEARNING OBJECTIVE.
1 Know that the Earth is a planet that rotates on its axis, which is tilted, once in
approximately 24 hours, and use this to explain observations of the apparent daily
motion of the Sun and the periodic cycle of day and night
2 Know that the Earth orbits the Sun once in approximately 365 days and use this
to explain the periodic nature of the seasons
3 Know that it takes approximately one month for the Moon to orbit the Earth and
use this to explain the periodic nature of the Moon’s cycle of phases
 The Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun orbited by
eight planets and their moons, some dwarf
planets along with many asteroids and comets.
 Planets
A planet is a body that orbits In order of
the Sun, is massive enough distance from
for its own gravity to make it the Sun:
round, and has cleared its
neighbourhood of smaller Mercury
objects around its orbit.
Venus
Earth
Based on this, M
International Astronomical
Union’s definition of 2006, ars
there are only eight Jupit
planets in orbit around the
Sun. er
Uranus
Sa
Neptune
turn
 Dwarf Planets
A dwarf planet is a celestial
body orbiting the Sun that is
massive enough to be
spherical as a result of its own
gravity. but has not cleared its
neighbouring region of other
similar bodies.
Hubble image of Pluto
As of 2011 there are five and one of its moons
dwarf planets in the Solar (Charon)
System.
Between Mars and Jupiter:
Ceres
Beyond Neptune:
Pluto, Haumea,
Makemake
and Eris (the largest)
 Asteroids
An asteroid is a celestial body
orbiting the Sun that is not
massive enough to be spherical
as a result of its own gravity.

Most asteroids are found

between the orbits of Mars
and Jupiter – a region called
‘The Asteroid Belt’.
There are about 750 000
asteroids larger than 1km Asteroid Vesta – image
across. taken on July 17th 2011 by
A few, called ‘Near Earth the Dawn spacecraft
Asteroids’ can pass very
close to the Earth.
 Moons
A moon orbits a planet.
Planet Moons (2011)
Mercury 0
Venus 0
Earth 1
Mars 2
Jupiter 64
Saturn 62
Uranus 27 The Earth’s only
Neptune 13 natural
satellite

Note: A number of dwarf planets and asteroids

also have moons, for example Pluto has three
 Moon in Motion
In our entire solar system, the only object that shines with its own light is
the Sun. That light always beams onto Earth and Moon from the direction
of the Sun, illuminating half of our planet in its orbit and reflecting off the
surface of the Moon to create moonlight.
 Moon Phases in Order

The eight Moon phases of a lunar month are divided into four primary and four
intermediate (waxing and waning) Moon phases:

1.New Moon
2.Waxing Crescent Moon
3.First Quarter Moon
4.Waxing Gibbous Moon
5.Full Moon
6.Waning Gibbous Moon
7.Third Quarter Moon
8.Waning Crescent Moon

Primary Moon phases happen at a specific moment in time, while the time
between these moments are the intermediate Moon phases. The lunar cycle
lasts about 29.5 days, just under a calendar month.
Time period (T ) Mercury 88 days
Venus 225 days
This is the time Earth 1 year
taken for a
planet to 2 years
complete one Mars
orbit around Jupiter 12 years
the Sun.
It increases Saturn 29 years
with a planets
distance from
the Sun. Uranus 84 years

Neptune 165 years

 Gravitational
attraction
The force of gravity is responsible for the
orbits of planets, moons, asteroids and
comets.

In 1687 Sir Isaac Newton stated

that this gravitational force:
- is always attractive
- would double if either the mass of Sun
or the planet was doubled
- decreases by a factor of 4 as the
distance between the Sun and a planet
doubles.
 Gravitational field
Thisstrength (g)
is a way of measuring the strength of
gravity.
The gravitational field strength is equal to the
gravitational force exerted per kilogram.

Near the Earth’s surface, g = 10 N/kg

In most cases gravitational field strength in

N/kg is numerically equal to the
acceleration due to gravity in m/s2, hence
they both use the same symbol ‘g’.
Gravitational field strength (g) varies from
planet to planet.

It is greatest near the most massive

objects.

Some examples of gravitational field strength:

Locatio N/kg Location N/kg
n
Earth 10 Jupiter 24
Moon 1.6 Pluto 0.7
Mars 3.7 The Sun 270
Planet, Number Average distance Diameter Time for Average Gravitation
Dwarf of from the Sun (km) one orbit surface al
field h
Planet or moons (millions of km) (years) temperature
strengt
Moon (2011) (°C) (N/kg)
Mercury 0 58 4 700 0.2 + 350 4
(88 days)
Venus 0 108 12 100 0.6 + 470 9
(225 days)
Earth 1 150 12 700 `1.0 + 15 10
(93 million miles)
Moon - 0.38 3 400 0.07 - 50 1.6
(from the Earth) (27 days)
Mars 2 228 6 800 1.9 - 30 4

Ceres 0 414 970 4.6 - 100 0.3

Jupiter 64 779 143 000 12 - 150 23

Saturn 62 1443 120 000 30 - 180 9

Uranus 27 2877 51 000 84 - 210 9

Neptune 13 4503 49 000 165 - 220 11

Pluto 3 5874 2 300 248 - 230 0.7

LEARNING OBJECTIVE.

1 Define average orbital speed from the equation v = 2π r/ T where r is the average
radius of the orbit and T is the orbital period; recall and use this equation
2 Describe the Solar System as containing: (a) one star, the Sun (b) the eight named
planets and know their order from the Sun (c) minor planets that orbit the Sun, including
dwarf planets such as Pluto and asteroids in the asteroid belt (d) moons, that orbit the
planets (e) smaller Solar System bodies, including comets and natural satellites
 Planetary orbits
The orbits of the
planets are slightly
squashed circles
(ellipses) with the
Sun quite close to
the centre.

The Sun lies at a

‘focus’ of the ellipse
Planets move more quickly when they are
closer to the Sun.

faster slower

The above diagram is

exaggerated!
 What would happen to an
orbit without
gravity
As the red planet
moves it is continually
pulled by gravity
towards the Sun.

Gravity therefore
causes the planet to
move along a circular
path – an orbit.

If this gravity is
removed the planet
will continue to move
along a straight line
at a tangent to its
original orbit.
Comets
A comet is a body made of dust
and ice that occupies a highly
elongated orbit.

When the comet passes close

to the Sun some of the comet’s
frozen gases evaporate. These
form a long tail that shines in
the sunlight.

Comets are most visible and

travel quickest when close to
the Sun.

Comets are approximately 1-

30km in diameter.
 Halley’s Comet
This is perhaps the
most famous comet.

It returns to the inner

Solar System every 75 to
76 years. It last appeared
in 1986 and is due to
return in 2061.

It has been observed

since at least 240BC. In
1705 Edmund Halley
correctly predicted its
reappearance in 1758.
Choose appropriate words to fill in the gaps below:
The Solar System consists of a star , the Sun, orbited by
eight planets, a number of dwarf planets and millions of
asteroids and comets .
All of these bodies orbit the Sun because of gravitational
force. Gravity is also responsible for the orbits of moons
and artificial satellites.
Most orbits are nearly circular ellipses but those of comets
are highly elongated. Comets move quickest when they are at
their nearest to the Sun
WORD SELECTION:
quickest eight ellipses orbit star moons comets
 Orbital speed (v)
orbital speed = (2π x orbital radius) / time
period
v = (2π x r ) /
T
orbital speed in metres per second
(m/s) orbital radius in metres (m)
time period in seconds (s)
 Question
Calculate the orbital speed of the Earth around the Sun.
1
(Earth orbital radius = 150 million km)
v = (2π x r ) / T

= (2π x [150 000 000 km] ) / [1 year]

but 1 year = (365 x 24 x 60 x 60) seconds
= 31 536 000 s
and 150 000 000 km = 150 000 000 000
metres

v = (2π x [150 000 000 000] ) / [31 536 000]

orbital speed = 29 900 m/s
 Question
Calculate the orbital speed of the Moon around the Earth.
2
(Moon orbital radius = 380 000 km; orbit time = 27.3 days)
v = (2π x r ) / T

= (2π x [380 000 km] ) / [27.3 days]

but 27.3 days = (27.3 x 24 x 60 x 60)
seconds
= 2 359 000 s
and 380 000 km = 380 000 000 metres

v = (2π x [380 000 000] ) / [2 359 000]

orbital speed = 1 012 m/s
 Question
Calculate the orbital speed of the ISS (International Space Station)
around the Earth. (ISS orbital height = 355 km; orbit time = 91 minutes;
Earth radius = 6 378 km)
3
The orbit radius of the ISS = (355 + 6 378) km = 6 733 km
v = (2π x r ) / T

= (2π x [6 733 km] ) / [91 minutes]

but 91 minutes = (91 x 60) seconds
= 5 460 s
and 6 733 km = 6 733 000 metres

v = (2π x [6 733 000] ) / [5 460]

orbital speed = 7 748 m/s
 Question
Calculate the orbital time of a satellite that has a speed of 3 075 m/s
and height above the earth of 35 906 km. (Earth radius = 6 378 km)
4
The orbit radius of the satellite = (35 576 + 6 378) km =
42 284 km
v = (2π x r ) / T
becomes: T = (2π x r ) / v
= (2π x [42 284 km] ) / [3 075 m/s]
but 42 284 km = 42 284 000 metres
T = (2π x [41 954 000 ] ) / [3 075 ]
orbital time = 86 400 seconds
= 1440 minutes
= 24 hours
 Communication satellites
These are usually placed in geostationary
orbits so that they always stay above the
same place on the Earth’s surface.
VIEW FROM
ABOVE THE
NORTH POLE
Geostationary satellites must have orbits
that:
- take 24 hours to complete
- circle in the same direction as the
Earth’s spin
- are above the equator
- orbit at a height of about 36 000 km

Uses of communication satellites include

satellite TV and some weather satellites.
Choose appropriate words to fill in the gaps below:
A satellite is a lower mass object orbiting around a
higher mass body.

The larger the orbit of a satellite the more slowly it

and the longer it takes to complete one
moves
orbit.
Geostationary satellites are used for communications and have
an orbital period of 2_4 hours.
monitoring satellites normally use polar orbits.

WORD SELECTION:
monitoring higher communications
longer lower 24 slowly
 The Milky
Way
The Milky Way is
the name of our
galaxy.

From Earth we can

see our galaxy
edge-on. In a very
dark sky it appears
like a ‘cloud’ across
A very dark sky is required to
the sky resembling a see the Milky Way this
strip of spilt milk. clearly
 Galaxie
Galaxies consist of s
billions of stars
bound together by
the force of gravity.

There are thought to The Andromeda Galaxy

be at least 200
billion galaxies in
our Universe each
containing on
average 2 billion
stars.
The Sun’s position in the Milky Way
 Types of
galaxy

Barred-Spiral – NGC 1300

Our galaxy is this type
Spiral – The Whirlpool Galaxy

Irregular – The Small

Magellanic Cloud
Elliptical – M32
Choose appropriate words to fill in the gaps below:
The Universe is made up of billions of galaxies which
consist of billions of stars bound to each other by the force
of gravity .
The name of our galaxy is The Milky Way. The Sun
located towards the outer edge of our galaxy.
is
The are different types of galaxy; sp_ira , barred-spiral,
elliptical and irregular. The Milky Way
l is a _barre_d-sp_iral
galaxy. The Andromeda Galaxy is the nearest spiral galaxy
to the Milky Way.
WORD SELECTION:
Andromedagalaxy spiral
barred-spiral Sun Universe
gravity billions
 Online Simulations
My Solar System - PhET- Build your own Gravity & Orbits - PhET - Move the sun, earth,
heavenly
system ofbodies and watch the gravitational
ballet. With this orbit simulator, you can set moon and space station to see how it affects
initial positions, velocities, and masses of 2, their gravitational forces and orbital paths.
3, or 4 bodies, and then see them orbit each Visualize the sizes and distances between
other. different heavenly bodies, and turn off gravity
Multiple planets - to see what would happen without it!
7stones Planet orbit
Projectile & Satellite Orbits - NTNU
info - Fendt
Distances in Space - Newton's Cannon Demo - to show how orbits
Powerpoint occur - by Michael Fowler
presentation by JAA Kepler Motion - NTNU
Solar system quizes - How well do you know the Kepler's 2nd Law -
solar system? This resource contains
whiteboard activities to order and name the Fendt
planets corrrectly as well as a palnet database - Two & Three Body
by eChalk Orbits - 7stones
Hidden Pairs Game on Planet Facts - by KT -
Microsoft WORD Orbits - Gravitation
Fifty-Fifty Game on Planets with Atmospheres - program BBC KS3
by KT - Microsoft WORD Bitesize Revision:
Fifty-Fifty Game on
Planets that are smaller than the Earth - The Solar System
by KT - Microsoft WORD Gravitational
Sequential Puzzle on Planet Order - by KT -
Microsoft WORD Forces Days &
Sequential Puzzle on Planet Size - by KT - Nights
Microsoft WORD Years & Seasons - includes an applet showing
Lunar Eclipse - flash demo the tilt of the Earth
Phases of the Moon -
The Moon
Freezeway.com Phases of the
Moon - eChalk Seasons - Artificial space probes and satellites
Freezeway.com
 Astrono
Notes questions from pages 49 to 56
my
1. Outline the structure of the Solar System and explain the
difference between a planet and a moon. (see pages 49 to
50)
2. Define what is meant by gravitational field strength and explain
how it may differ throughout the Solar System. (see page 50)
3. How is the orbit of a comet different from a planet? (see pages
51 and 52)
4. (a) Give the equation for orbital speed. (b) Calculate the orbital
speed of Mercury around the Sun. [Mercury orbital radius = 58
million km; orbital time = 88 days]. (see page 54)
5. (a) What is the ‘Milky Way’? (b) What is a galaxy? (c) How many
galaxies are there in the Universe? (see page 55)

6. Answer the questions on page 56.

7. Verify that you can do all of the items listed in the end of chapter checklist
on page 56.