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Planetary Science
Planetary Science is the study of Planets and the Solar System, a combination of Astronomy and Earth Sciences. Find questions about the different planets and more.
25,144 Questions
Is the sun younger than the earth?
Short Answer:
The Sun, Moon and planets, including Earth, were formed at the same time. The entire solar system was formed about 4.5 years ago.
More Information:
Scientist have direct measurements that show there is material on Earth at least 4.4 billion years old. The oldest material found on Earth is in the form of small crystals of a material called zircon (zirconium silicate ZrSiO4) and in Australia these were measured to be 4.4 billion years old. They even suggest that water was present when they were formed.
Analysis of the isotope concentrations of lead in the oldest known samples of the mineral galena on Earth indicate that the lead is 4.5-4.6 billion years old.
The material on Earth was formed from a cloud of gas and dust that formed the entire Solar system. The age of Earth can not be older than everything else in the solar system. That is why many meteorites have been tested as well as material returned from the Moon missions.
Meteorites show a spread of ages between 4.53 to 4.58 billion years, so that is taken to mean the initial formation of the solar system covered a similar period of time.
Moon samples show dates with a maximum of around 4.4 and 4.5 billion years.
Even the rare Martian meteorites have been dated to around 4.5 billion years old.
The final check is the age of the Sun. That is harder, but some information is known by looking at all the stars of a similar character and comparing age with luminosity and mass. These studies put the age of the Sun in the same time frame of 4.5 billion years, but with less accuracy.
Conclusion:
From all data available, the Earth and Sun and planets all formed about 4.5-4.6 billion years ago.
What are names of the robots that explored the planet Pluto?
The robots that explored the planet Pluto are called New Horizons. They launched in 2006 and performed a historic flyby of Pluto in 2015, providing valuable information and images of the distant dwarf planet.
Which planet is 31800 mile in diameter?
The planet you are referring to is Jupiter, which has a diameter of approximately 86,881 miles. Mercury has a diameter of about 3,032 miles, Venus has a diameter of about 7,521 miles, Earth has a diameter of about 7,917 miles, and Mars has a diameter of about 4,212 miles.
A small celestial body that sometimes strikes the earth?
A meteorite is a small body from space that falls on the surface of the Earth.
When a space rock is floating through space, it is called a "meteoroid"; when it hits the Earth's atmosphere, the streak of light caused by friction and compressive heating is a "meteor." After it lands - IF it survives without being vaporized - it is called a "meteorite."
Which planet was once named after a king but when he went mad astrologers decided to change it?
The planet Uranus was once named after King George III of England. When he went mad, astrologers decided to change the name to Uranus to avoid association with the king's mental illness.
Uranus is not habitable for humans because of its extreme cold temperatures, lack of a solid surface, and toxic atmosphere. Its average temperature is around -224 degrees Celsius, and its atmosphere is primarily composed of hydrogen, helium, and methane.
How often do eclipses occur with the moons on mars?
Yes, in a sense. But, the solar "eclipses" on Mars would better be referred to as transits. The moons of Mars are much too small to block more than a small portion of the sun as seen from Mars. An observer on the surface of Mars would not even notice the difference without special equipment.
Nuclear fusion. The sun has such a huge mass and high internal pressure as well as incredible heat, it fuses atoms of gas together in it's core which releases massive amounts of energy. The typical fuel used in the sun is "heavy hydrogen" which is fused together to produce Helium and water.
Which planet in the solar system is named after the roman messenger?
The planet named after the Roman messenger god is Mercury. Mercury is the closest planet to the sun in our solar system and is known for its fast orbit around the sun.
Which of these BEST summarizes human population growth on the planet Earth?
scientist are concerned about the human population reaching or exceeding the carrying capacity. the human population is no exception. As most population do to and areas become overcrowded, disease and starvation will occur.
Which is the only planet having intelligent life?
The only one that humans are currently aware of is Earth. No other planet in our own solar system has intelligent life, and there is no conclusive evidence as of yet that intelligent life exists elsewhere.
Do stihl trimmers rotate clockwise or counterclockwise?
ALL Stihl straight shaft trimmers rotate counter clockwise.
ALL Stihl curved shaft trimmers rotate clockwise.
This info is found on the Stihl FAQ page.
What shape is the Earth the Sun and the moon?
- Simple answer - They are sphere's
- Relatively simple answer - They are oblate spheroids
- Complex answer. The Earth and Moon are oblate spheroids (The Earth to a greater effect), whereas the Sun is a gaseous body so it experiences an extended oblate spheroid property.
What planet can rise above 1000 degrees?
Venus can experience surface temperatures exceeding 900 degrees Fahrenheit due to its thick atmosphere trapping heat from the sun, creating a runaway greenhouse effect.
What is the difference in between nebula and solar nebula?
A solar nebula is related to the formation of our Solar System, any other nebula is just a nebula.
What is a day and a year on Jupiter?
- A day (rotation period) is about 9.925 hours.
- A year (revolution period around the Sun) is 4,331.572 Earth days or 11.85920 Earth years.
distance from the Earth. The apparent magnitude of a star is how bright it appears from Earth, while the absolute magnitude is how bright a star would be if it were located at a standard distance of 10 parsecs away from Earth. The difference in magnitude is primarily influenced by the star's distance, with closer stars having a smaller difference and more distant stars having a larger difference between their apparent and absolute magnitude.
How are pedigree and apogee related to the moon?
Pedigree refers to ancestry, and has nothing to do with astronomy.
You may be thinking of perigee, the closest point of approach to the Earth in an orbit.
Apogee is the opposite; the farthest away from the Earth in its orbit.
How long would it take to travel to the planet Gliese 581C?
It will take me 20+ years since i can walk at the speed of light!;p
Wait a minute, i get my hyperspace technology fixed and i will be there in a few minutes..
You guys are slow... it will take u guys 85,000+ years to get there!! In otherwards, you can't!
Which direction is a ceiling fan supposed to go in the summer clockwise or counter clockwise?
Depends on how the blades are angled.
In winter, you want it to blow the warm air off the ceiling, to the floor.
In summer, you want it to pull the cool air upwards.
The average rate of erosion on the moon is far less then here on earth?
Yes, the average rate of erosion on the Moon is far less than on Earth because the Moon has a much thinner atmosphere and lacks significant weathering processes like wind and water erosion that are prevalent on Earth. The lack of an atmosphere on the Moon means that there is no protection from impacts by meteoroids and solar wind erosion, which are the main drivers of erosion on the Moon.
Does it take 12 earth years for Jupiter to complete a circuit around the sun?
Jupiter travels around the sun in a slightly elliptical (oval-shaped) orbit. It takes The planet 4,333 Earth days to complete one orbit of the sun. Yes that is 12 nearly years.
Are the first four planets the rocky planets?
Yes, the first four planets in our solar system are rocky planets. They are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. These planets have solid surfaces made mostly of rock and metal.
When only a small part of the moon is visible the moon may be in its?
When the sky is clear but still only a small part of the moon is visible,
the cause may be any one of the following:
-- The moon is in its waning crescent phase, during the last 6 or 7 days
before New Moon.
-- The moon is in its waxing crescent phase, during the first 6 or 7 days
after New Moon.
-- An umbral lunar eclipse is in progress.
What theory describes that the sun and planets formed out of the same cloud of gas and dust?
The theory that describes the formation of the sun and planets from a single rotating disk of gas and dust is the solar nebula theory. This theory suggests that as the nebula contracted under gravity, it flattened into a disk, with the sun forming at the center and the planets forming from material in the disk.
