Solar System Facts: Interesting Facts About the Solar System

Question 1 

The solar system is a gravitationally bound system which is made of the sun and objects which orbit it indirectly or directly. The composition of the solar system includes the sun, the largest eight planets, and other smaller objects such as dwarf planets and small solar system bodies. The remaining small inner planets such as Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and terrestrial planets became primarily composed of rock and metal. The large planets are Jupiter and Saturn and are mainly composed of hydrogen and helium. The two outermost giants are Uranus and Neptune which are composed mainly of volatile items such as water, ammonia, and methane (Goldmann et al., 2015). 

The solar system was formed 4.6 billion years ago after the gravitational collapse of a giant interstellar molecular cloud. A large mass of the collapsing cloud collapsed at the center leading to the formation of the sun. The other mass flattened out to form a planetary disk which includes other planets, asteroids, moons, and other small solar system bodies. The Solar System has since evolved with the formation of many moons encircling discs of gas and dust around the planets. The position of planets has since shifted due to the interaction of gravitation forces. 

Question 2 

The Subtropical High Atmospheric Zone is a significant belt that features a high atmospheric pressure situated around the latitudes of 30 0 S in the Southern Hemisphere and 30 0 N in the Northern Hemisphere. It is caused by global air circulation where air descends from the upper troposphere to flow out from the center at surface towards the upper and lower latitudes of each hemisphere. The movement of air creates the westerlies and the trade winds. The subtropical ridge is mostly characterized by calm winds which causes fog overnight reducing air quality. 

Air which rises above the equator in the high-pressure zone spreads out and cools. Colder air is heavier and it descends into the subtropical zones at 25 0 to 40 0 latitude. The descending air increases atmospheric pressure. The region is mostly associated with clear skies and low rainfall. Daytime temperatures in the region can go up to 40 0 C. Most of the world’s hottest deserts are found in the subtropical high atmospheric zone (Woodhouse et al., 2010). 

Question 3 

Plate tectonics is the theory that the outer shell of the Earth is divided into several plates which glide over the rocky inner layer, the mantle, above the core. The plates are hard rigid, rigid shells when compared to the molten mantle in the Earth. The strong outer layer is known as the lithosphere and is approximately 100 km thick. The lithosphere is made of the crust and the outer part of the mantle. The asthenosphere is below the lithosphere, it is malleable and allows the lithosphere to move around. There are nine major tectonic plates named after the landforms that formed them. The plates include Pacific, African, Eurasian, North American, South American, Australian, Indo-Australian, Indian, and Antarctic (Ingersoll, 2012). 

The driving force of the plate tectonics is the mantle. Hot material near the Earth’s crust rises while the colder mantle sinks. The convection drives plate tectonics through a series of pushing and spreading at the mid-ocean ridges. There is pushing and sinking downwards at the subduction zones. Hot magma wells up at the ridges and forms new ocean crust which moves the plates apart. At the subduction zones, two plates meet and one slides beneath the other and goes into the mantle. 

One evidence for the plate tectonic theory is the presence of earthquakes and volcanoes. Almost all earthquakes that have been recorded to occur over time take place along the plate boundaries. All volcanoes too, with the exception of special volcanoes known as hot spots, have been found to occur on the boundaries between plates. 

Question 4 

The beginning stage of a star is the formation of Nebula, a cloud of dust and gas in space. The next phase of the formation of the star is the collapse stage. The mass of dust and gas becomes so great such that it gains a gravitation pull. It pulls nearby objects as it becomes denser and leads to the formation of the star. Other objects such as the solar system bodies like planets can form at this time. At the adult stage of the star, huge amounts of energy are released from the star and is a product of nuclear fusion. This takes place until the supply of hydrogen runs out. 

The Red Giant phase occurs when the star expands to become 1000 times in size. Helium fusion occurs and produces carbon and oxygen at its core. Planets surrounding the star like Earth can be swallowed up during this phase. The White Dwarf phase occurs after 5 billion years. The star sheds its outer layer to form a nebula. The star stops producing energy and a dense ball of carbon and oxygen causes it to remain in its state (Genzel et al., 2010). Black holes form at the end of the lifetimes of stars. The gravitational pull of the black hole is great and nothing escapes from it. Black holes distort the space around them and often suck neighboring matter like stars. 

Question 5 

Global warming is the condition when carbon dioxide, air pollutants, and other greenhouse gases collect in the atmosphere. They absorb solar radiation and sunlight which has bounced off the surface of the earth. This radiation would have mostly escaped into space. However, the pollutants trap the heat and cause the planets to become hotter. This results in the greenhouse effect. The apparent effects of global warming are extreme weather conditions. Rising temperatures fuel hotter and longer heat waves, heavier rainfall, frequent droughts, and hurricanes that are more powerful. Other effects of rising temperatures include melting glaciers, rising sea levels, and disruption of habitats such as coral reefs (Nogaard, 2011). 

Strategies to reduce the effect of global warming include the use of clean energy and reduction of our dependence on fossil fuels. The government and international community have in the past few years pledged to reduce carbon pollution from power plants. On a personal level, global warming can be possible by reducing one’s carbon footprint. This is by making conservation a part of one’s daily routine. When purchasing a car, one should find one that has the lowest emissions. Reducing emissions can also occur by opting for public transportation. 

References  

Genzel, R., Tacconi, L. J., Gracia-Carpio, J., Sternberg, A., Cooper, M. C., Shapiro, K., ... & Combes, F. (2010). A study of the gas–star formation relation over cosmic time.  Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ,  407 (4), 2091-2108. 

Goldmann, A., Brennecka, G., Noordmann, J., Weyer, S., & Wadhwa, M. (2015). The uranium isotopic composition of the Earth and the Solar System.  Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta ,  148 , 145-158. 

Ingersoll, R. V. (2012).  Tectonics of sedimentary basins, with revised nomenclature  (pp. 1-43). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 

Norgaard, K. M. (2011).  Living in denial: Climate change, emotions, and everyday life . MIT Press. 

Woodhouse, C. A., Meko, D. M., MacDonald, G. M., Stahle, D. W., & Cook, E. R. (2010). A 1,200-year perspective of 21st-century drought in southwestern North America.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ,  107 (50), 21283-21288.