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PHYSICAL SCIENCE REPORTING

"The Sun, and The Planets"

SUBMITTED BY GROUP 6 (CA1A) SUBMITTED TO

GUANTERO, Lawrence Mr. Glen Mangali

PARLAN, John Nicolai Physical Science Instructor

CARDENAS, Leslie AnnCASILANG, Joanna Marie

OCHOA, Marinela

PERALTA, Clyzel

SANTOS, Denese Kyle

TOPICS:

1. THE SUN (Reporters: Guantero, Ochoa)

- Definition of the Sun (with illustration).

- Parts and each definition of the Sun (with illustration).

*Core, Radio Active Zone, Convective Zone, Photosphere, Chromosphere, Corona,

Sunspots, Granules, and Prominence

2. THE PLANETS

I. Solar System (Reporters: Peralta, Cardenas, Casilang)

- The nine planets of the solar system

*Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto

II. Extrasolar Planets (Reporters: Parlan, Santos, D.)

- Definition of an extrasolar planet (with illustration)- Definition a planet

- Detecting Methods: Radial velocity, Transit Method, Transit Timing Variation (TTV),

Gravitational Microlensing, Astrometry, Pulsar timing, Circumstellar disk

- Habitability

OBJECTIVES:

Refresh the stocked knowledge about the sun and the planets.

Provide comprehensive new information and facts about the sun and the planets

Appreciate, at least, the importance of the sun and the planets in life.

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THE SUN (Reporters: Guantero, Ochoa)

-The glorious body that dominates the solar system, and the origin and destiny of the earth.

-It is so large that 1, 300, 000 earths would fit into it.

-It is rotating, though with the peculiarity that its period of rotation is shorter near its equator than near itspoles.

PARTS OF THE SUN

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1. Core - is considered to extend from the center to about 0.2 to 0.25 solar radius. It is the hottest part of the Sun

and of the Solar System. It has a temperature of close to 15,000,000 kelvin, or about 27,000,000 Fahrenheit; by

contrast, the surface of the Sun is close to 6,000 kelvin. The core is made of hot, dense gas in the plasmic state.

The core, inside 0.24 solar radiuses, generates 99% of the fusion power of the Sun.

2. Radioactive Zone - or radiative zone is a layer of a star's interior where energy is primarily transported

toward the exterior by means of radiative diffusion, rather than by convection. Energy travels through the

radiation zone in the form of electromagnetic radiation as photons. Within the Sun, the radiation zone is locatedin the intermediate zone between the solar core at 20% of the Sun's radius and the outer convection zone at 71%

of the Sun's radius. 

3. Convective Zone - is the range of radii in which energy is transported primarily by convection. In

the radiation zone, energy is transported by radiation. Stellar convection consists of mass movement of plasma

within the star which usually forms a circular convection current with the heated plasma ascending and the

cooled plasma descending.

4. Photosphere - has a temperature between 4500 and 6000 K (with an effective temperature of 5777 K) anda density of about2×10

−4kg /m3; other stars may have hotter or cooler photospheres. The Sun's photosphere is

composed of convection cells called granules — cells of gas each approximately 1000 kilometers in

diameter with hot rising gas in the center and cooler gas falling in the narrow spaces between them. Each

granule has a lifespan of only about eight minutes, resulting in a continually shifting "boiling" pattern. Grouping

the typical granules are super granules up to 30,000 kilometers in diameter with lifespans of up to 24 hours.

These details are too fine to see on other stars.

5. Chromosphere - (literally, "sphere of color") is the second of the three main layers in the Sun's atmosphere

and is roughly 2,000 kilometers deep. It sits just above the photosphere and just below the solar transition

region. 

The density of the chromosphere is very small. This makes the chromosphere normally invisible and it can only

be seen during a total eclipse, where its reddish color is revealed. The color hues are anywhere between pink 

and red. The density of the chromosphere decreases with distance from the center of the sun. The temperature

begins to decrease from the inner boundary of about 6,000 K to a minimum of approximately 3,800 K,before

increasing to upwards of 35,000 K at the outer boundary with the transition of the corona. 

6. Corona - is a type of plasma "atmosphere" of the Sun or other celestial body, extending millions of 

kilometers into space, most easily seen during a total solar eclipse, but also observable in a coronagraph. 

The Latin root of the word corona means crown. The high temperature of the corona gives it

unusual spectral features, which led some to suggest, in the 19th century, that it contained a previouslyunknown element, "coronium".

Light from the corona comes from three primary sources, which are called by different names although all of 

them share the same volume of space.

The K-corona (K for kontinuierlich, "continuous" in German) is created by sunlight scattering off 

free electrons; 

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The F-corona (F for Fraunhofer) is created by sunlight bouncing off dust particles, and is observable because its

light contains the Fraunhofer absorption lines that are seen in raw sunlight; the F-corona extends to very

high elongation angles from the Sun, where it is called the Zodiacal light. 

The E-corona (E for emission) is due to spectral emission lines produced by ions that are present in the coronal

plasma; it may be observed in broad or forbidden or hot spectral emission lines and is the main source of 

information about the corona's composition.

7. Sunspots - Markings of the reduced brightness on the sun’s surface during the intense luminosity. 

-  Change continually in form, each one growing rapidly and then shrinking, with lifetimes of from 2

or 3 days to more than a month.

-  They moved across the sun’s disk, as indicating that the sun rotates on its axis. (Galileo) 

-  Generally appear in groups, each with a single large spot together with a number of smaller ones.

-  Seem to consist of gas that moves upward from the sun’s interior, expanding and cooling as it spirals

out.

8. Granules on the photosphere of the Sun are caused by convection currents (thermal columns, Bénard cells) of plasma within the Sun's convective zone. The grainy appearance of the solar photosphere is produced by the

tops of these convective cells and is called granulation..

A typical granule has a diameter on the order of 1,000 kilometers and lasts 8 to 20 minutes before dissipating.

At any one time, the Sun's surface is covered by about 4 million granules. Below the photosphere is a layer of 

"supergranules" up to 30,000 kilometers in diameter with lifespans of up to 24 hours.

9. Prominence - is a large, bright feature extending outward from the Sun's surface, often in a loop shape.

Prominences are anchored to the Sun's surface in the photosphere, and extend outwards into the Sun's corona. 

While the corona consists of extremely hot ionized gases, known as plasma, which do not emit much visible

light, prominences contain much cooler plasma, similar in composition to that of the chromosphere. 

Sources: Introduction to Earth Science by Arthur Beiser and Konrad B. Krauskopf;

http://en.wikipedia.org

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THE PLANETS (Solar System) (Reporters: Peralta, Cardenas, Casilang) 

The Inner Planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars --- these are solid, relatively small, and rotate fairly

and slowly on their axes.

MERCURY  – It has craters and no atmosphere much like of the moon.

- The side facing the facing the sun is very hot. 300 C at sunlit, but drops at night about -175 C

- There is an evidence of lava flow.

- Although small, it is a surprisingly dense planet. This means hat is must have a massive metallic core, which is

proportionally much larger relatives to its diameter than of any other planet.

VENUS

- The third brightest object in the sky after the sun and the moon.

- It can be seen in the early evening or early morning. Thus, it is often called the morning or evening star.

- It is surrounded by pale yellow clouds (thought that it contains droplets of sulfuric acid) that prevent us from

observing the planet with telescopes.

- It is a very hot planet. Solar energy reaching the surface of Venus is prevented from escaping the dense

atmosphere and clouds.

- It has the distinction of spinning ―backward‖ on its axis; that is, looking downward on its north pole, Venus

rotates clockwise.

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 EARTH

 – Four-fifths of the surface is cover by water. The one-fifth that makes up the lands is of varied composition and

typography.

- It surrounded by an atmosphere of gases that process energy from the sun.

- Because Earth is tilted on its axis, differing amounts of the sun’s energy are received around the sur face of 

Earth. This, there are seasons that occur around the planet.

MARS- Its surface is unique in that it is dived into three sections:

a) 1st

region (Southern Hemisphere) – is a heavily cratered region.

b) 2nd region – consists of a volcanic plateau 4 to 10 km in height and extending over an area of about

4000 km.

c) 3rd

region (Northern Hemisphere) – is a low level plains region.

- It has thick crust, probably due to its small size and to rapid cooling.

- It has tremendous dust storms that seem to occur when it is at perihelion (nearest, in its orbit, to the sun)

- It has polar icecaps that get larger and smaller indicating that the planet has seasons. Thus, there could be a

possible existence there. However, it might also be impossible due to scarcity of water.

- Its surface temperatures vary greatly due to the dust storms, seasons, and its location in orbit.

- Its satellites are Phobus and Deimos, which is believed that were once asteroids and were captured by the

gravitation pull of Mars.

The Outer Planets: Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus.  – The atmosphere of these planets are composed mostly of 

hydrogen and helium.

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 JUPITER 

- It is shrouded in clouds and it occur in bands of changing color: yellow, red, blown, blue, purple, gray and the

Great Red Spot, which is a tremendous atmospheric storm.

- Its interior is believed to be very hot, about 500,000 C according to some estimates.

- It has four large satellites: Io, Europa - closer to Jupiter and are much younger than Ganymede and Callisto

Ganymede - the largest satellite and is about one and one half times the size of or moon; 50% rock and

50% water. 

Callisto  – is about the same size as Ganymede, but is less dense. It is the most heavily cratered andoldest satellite.

Amalthea – another satellite that is closest to Jupiter, very tiny and elongated rather than round.

SATURN

- It is the ringed planet.

- Its surface is much colder than Jupiter and chemical reactions are less apt to take place.

- Its atmosphere is composed of hydrogen and helium.

- Its five major rings are made up of hundreds of ringlets, according to scientists. These rings revolve around

Saturn like miniature satellites.

- Its newly discovered satellites are mostly small and irregular in shape; composed of water, ice, and rock.

*Titan – a satellites that orbits Saturn, and is the largest satellite in our solar system.

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 URANUS 

- Its axis is very different from the axis of any other planet. It is almost parallel to the plane of its orbit.

- It has been discovered that Uranus has rings similar to Saturn, and it maybe larger than the first estimated and

that it is less dense than water.

The Outermost Planets: Neptune and Pluto – each discovery is owed to the telescope.

NEPTUNE 

One of its satellites is called Triton – actual measurements of this satellite have not been made, and it may turn

out to be the largest satellite of our solar system.

PLUTO

It was once thought that is planet was a satellite of Neptune that somehow escaped from orbit  – a theory that has

been proposed because Pluto is more like a moon than a planet. The orbit of Pluto is elliptical. As a result, Pluto

occasionally passes between the sun and Neptune. This lead the scientists to theorize that perhaps Pluto is a

comet.

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PLANET

Mean

Distance

from the Sun

(in millions

of km)

Mass (g) Diameter (in

km)

Period of One

Revolution

Around the

Sun (in earth

days and

year)

Period of 

One

Rotation on

Its Axis

(days = earth

days)

Number of 

Satellites

Mercury 57.94 3.3 x 1026 4 988.97 87.97 days 58.66 days 0

Venus 108.26 4.9 x 1027 12 391.95 224.7 days 243.2 days 0

Earth 149.67 6.0 x 1027

12 757.27 365.256 days 23.93 days 1

Mars 228.06 6. 4 x 1026

6 759.25 1.882 years 24.62 hours 2

Jupiter 778.73 1.9 x 1030 142 748.81 11.862 years 9.83 hours 16

Saturn 1 427.71 5.7 x 1030

120 861.73 29.458 years 16.65 hours 17

Uranus 2 871.04 8.7 x 1028

51 499.01 84.013 years 12.8 hours 5

Neptune 4 498.86 1.0 x 1029

44 578.83 164.794 years 15.8 hours 2

Pluto 5 914.77 1025

2 414.02 248.430 years 6.33 days 1

EXTRASOLAR PLANETS (Reporters: Parlan, Santos, D.) 

It is a planet outside the Solar System. A total of 777 such planets (in 623 planetary systems, including

105multiple planetary systems) have been identified as of August 20, 2012. Estimates of the frequency of systems strongly suggest that more than 50% of Sun-like stars harbor at least one planet. In a 2012 study, each

star of the 100 billion or so in our Milky Way galaxy is estimated to host "on average ... at least 1.6

planets. Accordingly, at least 160 billion star-bound planets may exist in the Milky Way Galaxy alone.

Unbound free-floating planetary-mass bodies in the Milky Way may number in the trillions, with 100,000

objects larger than Pluto for every main-sequence star.

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DEFINITION OF A PLANET

The official definition of "planet" used by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) only covers the Solar

System and thus does not apply to exoplanets. As of April 2011, the only definitional statement issued by the

IAU that pertains to exoplanets is a working definition issued in 2001 and modified in 2003. That definition

contains the following criteria:

Objects with true masses below the limiting mass for thermonuclear fusion of deuterium (currently calculated tobe 13 Jupiter masses for objects of solar metallicity) that orbit stars or stellar remnants are "planets" (no matter

how they formed). The minimum mass/size required for an extrasolar object to be considered a planet should be

the same as that used in our solar system.

  Substellar objects with true masses above the limiting mass for thermonuclear fusion of deuterium are

"brown dwarfs", no matter how they formed or where they are located.

  Free-floating objects in young star clusters with masses below the limiting mass for thermonuclear fusion of

deuterium are not "planets", but are "sub-brown dwarfs" (or whatever name is most appropriate).

DETECTING METHODS

Radial velocity or Doppler method

As a planet orbits a star, the star also moves in its own small orbit around the system's center of mass.

Variations in the star's radial velocity — that is, the speed with which it moves towards or away from Earth  —  

can be detected from displacements in the star's spectral linesdue to the Doppler effect. Extremely small radial-

velocity variations can be observed, of 1 m/s or even somewhat less. This has been by far the most productive

method of discovering exoplanets. It has the advantage of being applicable to stars with a wide range of 

characteristics. One of its disadvantages is that it cannot determine a planet's true mass, but can only set a lower

limit on that mass. However if the radial-velocity of the planet itself can be distinguished from the radial-

velocity of the star then the true mass can be determined.

Transit method

If a planet crosses (or transits) in front of its parent star's disk, then the observed brightness of the star drops by

a small amount. The amount by which the star dims depends on its size and on the size of the planet, among

other factors. This has been the second most productive method of detection, though it suffers from a substantial

rate of false positives and confirmation from another method is usually considered necessary. The transit

method reveals the radius of a planet, and it has the benefit that it sometimes allows a planet's atmosphere to be

investigated through spectroscopy. 

Transit Timing Variation (TTV)

When multiple planets are present, each one slightly perturbs the others' orbits. Small variations in the times of 

transit for one planet can thus indicate the presence of another planet, which itself may or may not transit. For

example, variations in the transits of the planet WASP-3bsuggest the existence of a second planet in the system,

the non-transiting WASP-3c. If multiple transiting planets exist in one system, then this method can be used to

confirm their existence. In another form of the method, timing the eclipses in an eclipsing binary star can reveal

an outer planet that orbits both stars; as of November 2011, five planets have been found in that way.

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Gravitational microlensing

Microlensing occurs when the gravitational field of a star acts like a lens, magnifying the light of a distant

background star. Planets orbiting the lensing star can cause detectable anomalies in the magnification as it

varies over time. This method has resulted in only 13 detections as of June 2011, but it has the advantage of 

being especially sensitive to planets at large separations from their parent stars.

Astrometry

Astrometry consists of precisely measuring a star's position in the sky and observing the changes in that position

over time. The motion of a star due to the gravitational influence of a planet may be observable. Because the

motion is so small, however, this method has not yet been very productive. It has produced only a few disputed

detections, though it has been successfully used to investigate the properties of planets found in other ways.

Pulsar timing

A pulsar (the small, ultradense remnant of a star that has exploded as a supernova) emits radio waves extremely

regularly as it rotates. If planets orbit the pulsar, they will cause slight anomalies in the timing of its observed

radio pulses. The first confirmed discovery of an extrasolar planet was made using this method. But as of 2011,it has not been very productive; five planets have been detected in this way, around three different pulsars.

Circumstellar disks

Disks of space dust surround many stars, believed to originate from collisions among asteroids and comets. The

dust can be detected because it absorbs starlight and re-emits it as infraredradiation. Features in the disks may

suggest the presence of planets, though this is not considered a definitive detection method.

HABITABILITY

Several planets have orbits in their parent star's habitable zone, where it should be possible for liquid water toexist and for Earth-like conditions to prevail. Most of those planets are giant planets more similar to Jupiter than

to Earth; if any of them have large moons, the moons might be a more plausible abode of life. Discovery

of Gliese 581 g, thought to be a rocky planet orbiting in the middle of its star's habitable zone, was claimed in

September 2010 and, if confirmed, it could be the most "Earth-like" extrasolar planet discovered to date. But the

existence of Gliese 581 g has been questioned or even discarded by other teams of astronomers; it is listed as

unconfirmed at The Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia. Subsequently, though, the super-earth Kepler-22b was

confirmed to be in the habitable zone of its parent star, Kepler-22, the first planet of its size confirmed to be in

this zone.

Various estimates have been made as to how many planets might support simple or even intelligent life. For

example, Dr. Alan Boss of the Carnegie Institution of Science estimates there may be a "hundred billion"

terrestrial planets in our Milky Way Galaxy, many with simple life forms. He further believes there could be

thousands of civilizations in our galaxy. Recent work by Duncan Forgan ofEdinburgh University has also tried

to estimate the number of intelligent civilizations in our galaxy. The research suggested there could be

thousands of them.

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Data from the Habitable Exoplanets Catalog (HEC) suggests that, of the 725 exoplanets which have been

confirmed as of14 January 2012, four potentially habitable planets have been found, and the same source

predicts that there may be 27 habitableextrasolar moons around confirmed planets. The HEC also states, of the

1,235 planet candidates discovered by the Kepler probe up until 1 February 2011, that 23 planets and 4

predicted exomoons may be habitable. On 5 December 2011 the number of planetary candidates was updated to

2,326.

This data shows that of all the exoplanets which have been discovered, 0.5% have the potential to be habitable,

and when one counts possible habitable moons in this count, the total percentage grows to 4.1%. When oneconsiders the planet candidate data in this same fashion, 1.8% of the planets and 2.3% of the planets and

habitable moons in the system may be habitable. This is likely to be an overestimation, because of the over 100

satellites in the Solar System, only Jupiter's moon Europa, and, to a lesser extent, Enceladus, a satellite

of Saturn, are generally considered to be habitats for life, and even in this case, this life would likely resemble

the relatively simple life found in Earth's hydrothermal vents, a far cry from intelligence.

Apart from the scenario of an advanced extraterrestrial civilization that is emitting immensely powerful signals

intending to reach other intelligent life in the galaxy, the detection of life at interstellar distances is a

tremendously challenging technical task that may not be feasible for many years, even if such life is

commonplace.

Sources: Introduction to Earth Science by Arthur Beiser and Konrad B. Krauskopf;

http://en.wikipedia.org

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/exoplanet_transit.html

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PHYSICAL SCIENCE QUIZ

The Sun and The Planets

Prepared by Group 6 (CA1A)

Name:___________________________________ Section:____________________ Date:___________

Direction: Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. The heaviest planet with a mass of 8.7 x 1028 g

a. Neptune b. Mercuryc. Uranus c. Earth

2. These planets are solid, relatively small, and rotate fairly and slowly on their axes.

a. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Pluto b. Jupiter, Pluto, Saturn, Neptune

b. "The Outer Planets" d. "The Inner Planets"

3. The glorious body that dominates the solar system.

a. Jupiter b. Sun

c. Sunspots c. Uranus

4. The following are methods in detecting an extrasolar planet EXCEPT:

a. Transit Method b. Astrometry

c. FOIL Method d. Pulsar Timing

5. It is the second of the three main layers in the Sun's atmosphere.

a. Chromosphere b. Atmospherec. Photosphere d. None of the above

6. The type of plasma of the Sun or other celestial body, extending millions of kilometers into space, most

easily seen during a total solar eclipse.

a. Core b. Corona

c. Granules d. Prominence

7. The planet that is shrouded in clouds and occurs in bands of changing colors.

a. Venus b. Earthc. Mars d. Jupiter

8. The planet that is very unique and has three regions.

a. Venus b. Earth

c. Mars d. Jupiter

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9. The hottest part of the Sun and of the Solar System.

a. Atmosphere b. Core

c. Corona d. Chromosphere

10. The largest satellite and is about one and one half times the size of the moon.

a. Ganymede b. Callisto

b. Amalthea d. Titan

11. It is a planet outside the Solar System.

a. Expoplanet b. Intraplanet

c. Exoplanet c. Extraplanet

12. The planet that was once thought a satellite of Neptune that somehow escaped from its orbit.

a. Pluto b. Jupiterc. Uranus d. Mars

13. These planets are composed mostly of hydrogen and helium.

a. "The Inner Planets" b. Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Pluto

c. "The Outer Planets" d. Pluto, Uranus, Earth, Mars

14. Among the choices below, which is in the right order by distance from the Sun?

a. Mercury, Neptune, Venus

b. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranusc. Mars, Earth, Saturn

d. Neptune, Mercury, Venus

15. All of the following statements about Mars are correct EXCEPT:

a. It has three regions.b. The third region has thick crust due to its small size and rapid cooling.

c. The first region is a low level plains region.

d. Southern Hemisphere is a heavily crated region.

"Honesty is the best policy."