The Solar System

INDEX 643

saros cycle and, 44–45, 46

space view regarding, 44

Thales of Miletus, 45–46

Prediction, 89

Pressure (P) waves, 429

Prima Narratio (Rheticus), 59

Primary lens, 101 , 102–103

Primary mirror, 101–102, 103

Prime focus, 108, 110

Primeval atmosphere, 433

Primordial soup, 588 –589

Principia (Newton), 88–89

Profi les, celestial

Earth, 428

Jupiter, 496

Mars, 477

Mercury, 455

moon, 443

Neptune, 540

Saturn, 511

sun, 144

Uranus, 529

Venus, 465

Prominences, 41 , 42, 161, 162

Proteins, 583, 584

Proton, 123 , 124

Proton-proton chain, 151

Protoplanets, 409 –411

Protostars, 169

Prutentic Tables, 60, 62

Pseudoscience, 25

Ptolemaeus, Claudius, 55

Ptolemaic universe, 55, 57

P waves. See Pressure waves

Pythagoras, 53

Q

Quantum mechanics, 124 , 125

R

Radial velocity, 139

Radiation, 99 .See also Light

cosmic microwave background, 181

Doppler effect and, 137–139

from heated object, 127–129

infrared, 100, 129

laws, 129

misconceptions about, 99

stellar spectra and, 130–136

sun, 152–153

Radiative zone, 152

Radioactive dating, 405–406

Radio communication, 595–596

Radio interferometer, 115

Radio telescope

advantages of, 117

limitations of, 115–116

map, 114–115, 116

operation of, 114–115

Rays, 444, 446

Reconnection, 161, 163

Red dwarf, 154–155, 172

Redshift, 138

Doppler effect and, 138–139

Refl ecting telescope, 101 –102, 103

Refracting telescope, 101 , 102–103,

103–106

Regolith, 451

Regular satellites, 495

Relativity

general, 92–94

space-time curvature confi rmation and,

93–94

special, 90–92

Religion, 52, 583

Resolving power, 104 , 105

Retrograde motion, 55, 56 , 59

Revolution, 20

Copernican, 58–61, 68–70

scientifi c, 61

The Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres

(Copernicus).See De Revolutionibus

Orbium Coelestium

Ribonucleic acid (RNA), 583, 585

Rift valleys, 432, 434

Ring Nebula, 175

Rings

Jovian planet, 413

Jupiter’s, 499, 502

Neptune’s, 533–534, 535, 536, 541

Saturn’s, 512–516

RNA.See Ribonucleic acid

Roche limit, 499 , 502

Rocks

of Mars, 485–486

of moon, 450–451

Rosalind, 533

ROSAT, 118

Rotation

Earth, 428

Jupiter, 496

Mars, 477

Mercury, 455

Neptune, 540

Saturn, 511

Uranus, 529

Venus, 465

Rudolphine Tables, 63, 65–66

S

Saha, Meghnad, 136

Saros cycle, 44 –45, 46

Planet(s), 3 .See also Dwarf planets; Jovian
planets; Terrestrial planet(s); specifi c
planet
Brahe observations of, 62–63
building of, 408–412
center of mass and, 417
comparative planetology and, 425,
479–480, 504, 522
debris disks and, 415
Earth, 427–439
energy fl ow and, 426
extrasolar, 415–420, 594
heavy bombardment of, 413
hot Jupiters and, 418–419
Jovian problem and, 411–412
Kepler regarding, 63–67
microlensing and, 418
motion of, 22, 55–57, 59–70
orbiting other stars, 414–420
outgasing and, 411
photographing extrasolar, 419
planetesimal formation and, 408–409
planet forming disks creating, 169, 171,
414–415
protoplanet growth and, 409–411
remembering, 4
revolution/rotation of, 401
solar nebula composition and, 407–408
solar system characteristics and, 412–413
solids condensation and, 408
Terrestrial/Jovian, 401, 402–403
transit regarding, 417–418
uniform circular motion and, 59–61
Planetary nebulae, 172
asymmetry regarding, 172, 175
formation of, 172, 174–175
model of, 172, 174
Planetesimals, 408– 409 , 412
Plastic, 431
Plate margins, 433
Plate tectonics, 432–433, 434 –435
Plato, 53
Plutinos, 548
Pluto
characteristics of, 544–545
Charon and, 545–546, 547
discovery of, 544
temperature on, 545
Polar axis, 108, 111
Portia, 533
Positron, 151
Potential energy, 86
Precession, 19 –20
Predicting eclipses
conditions for, 43
eclipse season and, 43–44, 46