|
| |
An Overview of Astronomy
A Concise Guide to the Universe
|
Quick Reference of Space
Dimensions
- 10 million trillion atoms in one cc of air at sea level.
- 1 atom only per cc in the void between stars.
- 1 atom only per cm in the void between galaxies.
- Earth is 5 billion years old and 7,921 miles in diameter.
- Distance to our moon is 238,774 miles.
- Distance to our sun is 93,150,000 miles = 1 AU.
- Distance to Pluto's orbit varies between 26 to 52 AU.
- Distance to nearest star, Alpha Centaurus, is 4.3 LY
- Speed of Light = 186,170 miles/sec.
- 1 AU = 8 minutes at Speed of Light.
- Light travels in 1 light year 5.9 trillion miles. 1 LY = 65,555 AU
- Milky Way Galaxy is 90,000 Light Years wide and 3,000 LY thick.
- Estimated number of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy: 400 billion +
- Estimated number of galaxies in universe: 50 billion+
- Estimated number of stars in universe: 5 billion trillion.
- Estimated age of universe: 14 to 16 billion years.
The Hubble Telescope Deep Field image reveals unknown galaxies in a
sector the size of a grain of salt held at arms length.
Hubble Deep Field (full mosaic) released by NASA on January 15,
1996.
|
Comparative Data on the Terrestrial Planets
|
Quantity |
Earth |
Mercury |
Venus |
Mars |
|
Equatorial diameter (Km) |
12756 |
4878 |
12104 |
6794 |
|
Density (kg/m') |
5517 |
5500 |
5250 |
3933 |
|
Mass (Earth-1) |
1.0 |
0.055 |
0.815 |
0.107 |
|
Surface gravity (Earth=1) |
1.0 |
0.38 |
0.903 |
0.38 |
|
Escape velocity (km/s) |
11.2 |
4.3 |
10.36 |
5.03 |
|
Mean distance from sun (Au) |
1.0 |
0.3870987 |
0.7233322 |
1.5236915 |
|
Mean distance from sun (miles) |
9.3x10(7) |
3.599x10(7) |
6.7239x10(7) |
1.4136x10(8) |
|
Mean distance from sun (10(6) Km) |
149.6 |
57.9 |
108.2 |
227.9 |
|
Orbital period (Earth years) |
1.0 |
0.241 |
0.615 |
1.88 |
|
Orbital period (Earth days) |
365.24 |
87.97 |
224.68 |
686.95 |
|
Orbital velocity (Km/sec) |
29.79 |
47.89 |
35.03 |
24.13 |
|
Avg. Surface Temperature (K) |
280 |
400 |
730 |
210 |
Comparative Data on the Jovian Planets
and Pluto
|
Quantity |
Jupiter |
Saturn |
Uranus |
Neptune |
Pluto |
|
Equatorial diameter (Km) |
142796 |
120000 |
50800 |
48600 |
3300-2800(?) |
|
Density (kg/cm(3)) |
1330 |
706 |
1270 |
1700 |
2000? |
|
Mass (Earth=1) |
1318.7 |
743.6 |
14.6 |
17.2 |
0.0025? |
|
Surface gravity (Earth=1) |
2.643 |
1.159 |
1.11 |
1.21 |
? |
|
Escape velocity (km/s) |
60.22 |
32.26 |
22.5 |
23.9 |
? |
|
Mean distance from sun (AU) |
5.2028039 |
9.5388437 |
19.181843 |
30.057984 |
39.4 |
|
Mean distance from sun (miles) |
4.836x10(8) |
8.8722x10(8) |
1.7837x10(8) |
2.7946x10(8) |
3.6642x10(8) |
|
Mean distance from sun (10(6)Km) |
778.3 |
1427.0 |
2869.0 |
4497.1 |
5900 |
|
Orbital period (Earth years) |
11.867 |
29,461 |
84,013 |
164,793 |
247.7 |
|
Orbital period (Earth days) |
4334.3 |
10,760 |
30,685 |
60,189 |
90,465 |
|
Orbital velocity (Km/sec) |
13.06 |
9.64 |
6.81 |
5.43 |
4.74 |
|
Ave. Surface Temperature (K) |
125 |
95 |
60 |
60 |
|
Satellites of Planets in the Solar
System
|
Planet |
Name of Satellite |
Average Diameter in Km |
|
Earth |
Moon |
3476 |
|
Mars |
Phobos
Deimos
|
24
14
|
|
Jupiter |
Metis
Adrastea
Amalthea
Thebe
lo
Europa
Ganymede
Callisto
Leda
Himalia
Lysithea
Elara
Anake
Carme
Pasiphae
Sinope
|
40
40
170
100
3630
3140
5260
4800
15
185
35
75
30
40
50
35
|
|
Saturn |
Pan
Atlas
Prometheus
Pandora
Janus
Epimetheus
Mimas
Enceladus
Tethys
Telesto
Calpyso
Dione
Helene
Rhea
Titan
Hyperion
Iapetus
Phoebe
|
20
30
100
90
190
120
380
500
1050
25
25
1120
30
1530
5150
255
1440
220
|
|
Uranus |
Cordelia
Ophelia
Bianca
Cressida
Desdemona
Juliet
Portia
Rosaline
Belinda
Puck
Miranda
Ariel
Umbrial
Titania
Oberon
|
25
30
45
65
60
85
110
60
68
155
470
1160
1170
1580
1520
|
|
Neptune |
Naiad
Thalassa
Despina
Galatea
Larissa
Proteus
Triton
Neried
|
60
80
150
160
190
420
2700
340
|
|
Pluto |
Charon |
1200 |
An Overview of Astronomy
A Concise Guide to the Universe
|
|
