Earth Science - Planetary Assignment - ERSC 1P92 - Assignment

Assignment 1
1. a) Why do most of the planets rotate in the same direction? (5 marks)
Most of the planets rotate in the same direction because of the process in which they were formed, which is known as the nebular hypothesis. The process starts off with a nebula composed mostly of molecular hydrogen, in which over time the energy of the molecules in the cloud begin pushing outward, while gravity is acting to collapse the cloud. The interaction of the pressure and gravitational forces causes the nebula to becomes smaller in size while increasing its rotational spin. With the rotation of the planets being inherited from the direction of the spin of the eddies in the rotation of the nebula.
b) Uranus and Venus are the exception and have different rotations because of anomalies that shifted the movement of both the planets. Modern thinking suggests that there have been major collisions with other bodies in the solar system very early in their history. These collisions changed the planets angular momentum, which is why the two planets rotation differ from the rest.
2.
The Hilda, Greek and Trojan asteroids are three distinct groups of asteroids clusters located just beyond the asteroid belt. The Hilda asteroids form three clusters that extend from the outer limit of the asteroid belt to the edge of Jupiter’s orbit. The Greek and Trojan asteroids form the two other clusters along Jupiter’s orbital path, in which they share that orbit behind and ahead of Jupiter. It is also believed that the Trojan and Greek asteroids appear to be extensions of two of Hilda’s asteroid clusters.
3. What are the differences between a comet and an asteroid?
Asteroid
Comet
Asteroids are made up of inner solar system material that didn’t form into proto-planets, or were fragments of another planet.
While comets consist of water, ice, and frozen gas/dust. Materials found in the outer solar system.
Scientists believed that asteroids were formed closer to the sun
Scientists believed that comets formed a lot further away from the Sun
Majority of asteroids are formed and found in the asteroid belt, which is located between the orbital path of Mars and Jupiter.
Majority of comets are formed and found in the Kuiper be...