{"id":2203,"date":"2020-05-01T15:27:25","date_gmt":"2020-05-01T14:27:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/?p=2203"},"modified":"2020-04-23T13:38:57","modified_gmt":"2020-04-23T12:38:57","slug":"space-day-geology-of-the-planets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/2020\/05\/01\/space-day-geology-of-the-planets\/","title":{"rendered":"Space Day: Structure of the Planets"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">This year for Space Day, Earth Science student, Jade, explains all about the structure of the sun, moon and the planets in the solar system.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Sun<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"510\" height=\"444\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/04\/sun.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2195\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/04\/sun.png 510w, https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/04\/sun-300x261.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 510px) 100vw, 510px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The sun isn\u2019t a planet, it\u2019s a star in the Yellow Dwarf stage of its life. <\/li><li>The sun is in the middle of the solar system and is a ball of hot gases (mostly helium). <\/li><li>Even though it is made of gases it still has 6 layers within it:<ul><li>Core \u2013 Where solar energy is generated which is where the heat comes from.<\/li><\/ul><ul><li>Radioactive zone <\/li><\/ul><ul><li>Convection zone \u2013 Where the heat travels up to the surface.<\/li><\/ul><ul><li>Photosphere \u2013 Visible surface<\/li><\/ul><ul><li>Chromosphere \u2013 Thin layer of gas<\/li><\/ul><ul><li>Corona \u2013 Thick atmosphere extending for millions of miles and it\u2019s only visible during a solar eclipse<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide\" style=\"grid-template-columns:17% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"155\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/04\/mercury-e1587564692804.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2196\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mercury<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system.<\/li><li>It experiences extreme temperatures, both hot and cold. The heat is from being so close to the sun and the cold is due to the lack of atmosphere which causes the heat to escape.<\/li><li>Mercury\u2019s interior is made up of a solid inner core, liquid middle core and a solid layer of iron sulphides. Then there is a mantle and a crust which together are around 400km thick at and mostly made from silicate minerals.<\/li><li>On the surface it has craters from meteorite impacts and lava plains from past volcanism that ended around 750 million years ago. <\/li><li>Although it has extreme heat there is ice at the poles, even during the heat as the ice is in the shadows of craters.<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 16%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"149\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/04\/venus-e1587564727949.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2197\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Venus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Second\ncloset planet to the sun.<\/li><li>It\nhas an iron core, a rocky mantle and a thin crust, similar to Earth.<\/li><li>As\nthe rocky mantle moves underneath the crust it bulges and forms mountains and\nvolcanoes.<\/li><li>There\nisn\u2019t any water on Venus due to its high temperature. <\/li><li>It\nhas an atmosphere mostly made up of Carbon Dioxide, but it doesn\u2019t have any\nwind due to its slow rotation. <\/li><li>It\ncan sometimes rain sulfuric acid.<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide\" style=\"grid-template-columns:17% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"103\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/04\/earth-e1587563977631.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2199\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Earth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Solid inner core made of iron and nickel.<\/li><li>Liquid outer core also made out of iron and nickel.<\/li><li>Rocky mantle which is mostly a fluid which convects heat from the core to the surface. As it convects, it forces the plates of the crust to move around forming mountains and volcanoes as they collide or move away from each other.<\/li><li>The crust made up mostly of silicon and oxygen (the crust is thinner under the ocean than the rest of the crust).<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 15%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"101\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/04\/moon-e1587564066547.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2200\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Moon<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Similar to Earth in composition but no longer\nhas volcanism as there are no plate tectonics.<\/li><li>The composition is so similar because they were\nmade from the collision between a small planet and the Earth and the moon was\nthe bit left over.<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide\" style=\"grid-template-columns:17% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/04\/mars2.jpg\" alt=\"Mars\" class=\"wp-image-2201\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Mars has a solid inner core made of dense iron, nickel and sulphur.<\/li><li>It has a rocky mantle and a crust mostly made of iron, magnesium and aluminium. <\/li><li>Previously it had tectonics which formed volcanoes and the largest canyon in the solar system (Valles Marineris).<\/li><li>\u00a0It also has similar sedimentary processes to Earth such as dunes.<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 20%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"282\" height=\"558\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/05\/jupiter.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2206\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/05\/jupiter.png 282w, https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/05\/jupiter-152x300.png 152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 282px) 100vw, 282px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Jupiter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>One of the gas giants mainly made up of hydrogen and helium.<\/li><li>Structure similar to the sun. It is unclear what the core of Jupiter is made up of, but it is surrounded by metallic hydrogen formed when the hydrogen is under so much pressure that the electrons are squeezed off making it electrically conductive like metal. The upper layers of Jupiter are then more hydrogen either as a liquid or gas (the high pressure and high temperature makes the hydrogen a liquid).<\/li><li>Jupiter spins so fast that it generates a magnetic field.<\/li><li>It has 63 moons, one of which is Europa:<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide\" style=\"grid-template-columns:12% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"292\" height=\"578\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/04\/europa.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2207\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/04\/europa.png 292w, https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/04\/europa-152x300.png 152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 292px) 100vw, 292px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Europa (a moon of Jupiter)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p> Europa has an iron core, a rocky mantle, an ocean of salty water, and a lot of ice.\u00a0\u00a0  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 22%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"368\" height=\"604\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/04\/saturn.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2208\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/04\/saturn.png 368w, https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/04\/saturn-183x300.png 183w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 368px) 100vw, 368px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Saturn<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Another gas giant mostly made of helium and hydrogen.<\/li><li>Saturn\u2019s core is made up of dense metals like iron and nickel and some rocky material.<\/li><li>Saturn\u2019s density is less than water which means it could theoretically float on a giant mass of water.<\/li><li>Saturn is the only one of the gas giants with visible rings as the rings are mostly made of ice which reflects the light well.<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide\" style=\"grid-template-columns:17% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"302\" height=\"618\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/04\/uranus.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2209\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/04\/uranus.png 302w, https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/04\/uranus-147x300.png 147w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 302px) 100vw, 302px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Uranus<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>This ice giant rotates at nearly 90<sup>o<\/sup> from the plane of its orbit, which makes it look like it\u2019s spinning on its side. <\/li><li>The icy mantle surrounding the small rocky core is made up of dense water, methane and ammonia. <\/li><li>The atmosphere is made up of methane gas which give Uranus it\u2019s blue-green colour. <\/li><li>It\u2019s bigger than Neptune but it has a smaller mass.<\/li><li>It has 27 moons.<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 17%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"710\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/04\/neptune.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/04\/neptune.png 350w, https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/files\/2020\/04\/neptune-148x300.png 148w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Neptune<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Neptune is shrinking and releasing heat.<\/li><li>It has a similar structure to Uranus as its mostly made up of icy materials made of dense water, methane and ammonia fluids around a small rocky core.<\/li><li>It\u2019s atmosphere is mostly made form hydrogen, helium, and methane and it doesn\u2019t have a solid surface (similar to all of the gas giants.)<\/li><li>It has 14 moons.<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This year for Space Day, Earth Science student, Jade, explains all about the structure of the sun, moon and the planets in the solar system. The Sun The sun isn\u2019t a planet, it\u2019s a star in the Yellow Dwarf stage of its life. The sun is in the middle of the solar system and is &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/2020\/05\/01\/space-day-geology-of-the-planets\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Space Day: Structure of the Planets<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3103,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[339,57,203,202,442],"class_list":["post-2203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","tag-earth-science","tag-physics","tag-planets","tag-space","tag-space-day"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3103"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2203"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2203\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2211,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2203\/revisions\/2211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/stem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}