ASTRONOMY 3: Introductory Astronomy: The Solar System

Winter 2012

Lecture 13


Ice giants: Uranus and Neptune

discoveries and characterization

Observational discovery of Uranus

Mathematical prediction of Neptune

Voyager probes

Spin of Uranus: seasons

Cooling and internal contraction

Uranian moons and rings

Neptune: cold outpost of the solar system

large spots and atmospheric bands

partial rings

terrains on Triton

Comparative internal structure

relative mass of cores

atmospheric structure and internal envelopes