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Chapter 14: Problem 44

Discuss the evidence presented by the outer planets that suggests that catastrophic impacts of planetlike objects occurred during the early history of our solar system.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Evidence from the outer planets that suggests catastrophic impacts occurred during the early history of our solar system include Jupiter's strong gravitation and many moons, Saturn's ring system, Uranus's tilted orientation, Neptune's moon Triton with its retrograde orbit, and the presence of the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Step by step solution

01

Identify the Outer Planets

The outer planets in our solar system are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Depending on necessity, the dwarf planet, Pluto, can also be discussed.
02

Discus Evidence from Jupiter

Evidence from Jupiter includes its strong gravitation which suggests that it might have attracted and experienced several impacts, and also the possibility of it having captured some of its many moons. The Great Red Spot, which is a storm system in its atmosphere, can be a result of an impact.
03

Discuss Evidence from Saturn

Saturn's ring system provides evidence of catastrophic impacts. The rings are composed mainly of ice particles which could be remnants from a comet, asteroid or broken up moon, resulting from a catastrophic impact.
04

Discuss Evidence from Uranus

Uranus has an extreme tilt, about 98 degrees off from what would be expected. This suggests that something massive, like a planet-sized body, may have collided with it, causing the extreme tilt.
05

Discuss Evidence from Neptune

Neptune's moon Triton has a retrograde orbit which suggests that it was captured by Neptune's gravity and was not originally formed along with the planet. This could have happened during a catastrophic event.
06

Discuss Other Evidence

Another strong piece of evidence about catastrophic impacts in the early history of our solar system is the presence of asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. This could be a result of a planetary disruption caused by multiple catastrophic impacts.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

The brightness of sunlight is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the Sun. For example, at a distance of \(4 \mathrm{AU}\) from the Sun, sunlight is only \((1 / 4)^{2}=1 / 16=\) \(0.0625\) as bright as at \(1 \mathrm{AU}\). Compared with the brightness of sunlight on the Earth, what is its brightness (a) on Pluto at perihelion (29.649 AU from the Sun) and (b) on Pluto at aphelion (49.425 AU from the Sun)? (c) How much brighter is it on Pluto at perihelion compared with aphelion? (Even this brightness is quite low. Noon on Pluto is about as dim as it is on the Earth a half hour after sunset on a moonless night.)

Describe the seasons on Uranus. In what ways are the Uranian seasons different from those on Earth?

Make arrangements to view Uranus through a telescope. The planet is best seen at or near opposition. Use a star chart at the telescope to find the planet. Are you certain that you have found Uranus? Can you see a disk? What is its color?

How can astronomers distinguish a faint solar system object like Pluto from background stars within the same field of view?

How do the orientations of Uranus's and Neptune's magnetic axes differ from those of other planets?
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