Space Technology

Planetary Processes, General includes Planetary science, Planets, Extrasolar Planet, Dwarf Planets, Comets, Asteroids and others.

Geophysics is the study of the Earth by quantitative physical methods, especially by seismic, electromagnetic, and radioactivity methods, therefore Planetary Geophysics is the study of the planets by quantitative physical methods, especially by seismic, electromagnetic, and radioactivity methods. It includes the branches of: Seismology (earthquakes and elastic waves), planetary gravity, geodesy, Tectonophysics (geological processes in the planets), Mineral Physics and others. Geophysics can be both a part of physics and a part of Geology.

Geodesy of The Solar System, also called geodetics of the solar system, is the scientific discipline that deals with the measurement and representation of the planets of the Solar System, their gravitational fields and geodynamic phenomena (polar motion in three-dimensional, time-varying space. The science of geodesy has elements of both astrophysics and planetary sciences. The shape of the Earth is to a large extent the result of its rotation, which causes its equatorial bulge, and the competition of geologic processes such as the collision of plates and of vulcanism, resisted by the Earth's gravity field. These principles can be applied to the solid surface of Earth (orogeny; Few mountains are higher than 10& km, few deep sea trenches deeper than that because quite simply, a mountain as tall as, for example, 15& km, would develop so much pressure at its base, due to gravity, that the rock there would become plastic, and the mountain would slump back to a height of roughly 10& km in a geologically insignificant time. Some or all of these geologic principles can be applied to other planets besides Earth. For instance on Mars, whose surface gravity is much less, the largest volcano, Olympus Mons, is 27& km high at its peak, a height that could not be maintained on Earth. The Earth geoid is essentially the figure of the Earth abstracted from its topographic features. Therefore the Mars geoid is essentially the figure of Mars abstracted from its topographic features. Surveying and mapping are two important fields of application of geodesy.

Physics is the underlying physical science of any planet, yet many aspects of planets are not best described through their physics. Planetary science is the general term for ALL physical sciences that can be applied to planets in the Universe or else to a particular planet. Planetary science of the Earth is the overall physical science containing all the physical sciences related directly to our Earth. Planetary Science can be broadly divided into several major sciences: Geology, Oceanography and Atmospheres.

Geology of Solar System Planets contains Geology of Mercury, Geology of Venus, Geology of the Moon, Geology of Mars, Geology of Jupiter, Geology of Saturn, Geology of Uranus Geology of Neptune, Geology of Pluto

Geology of Other Planets Planetary geology (sometimes known as Astrogeology) refers to the application of geologic principles to other bodies of the solar system. However, specialised terms such as ''selenology'' (studies of the Moon), ''areology'' (of Mars), etc., are also in use. Most of the geological sciences related to the Earth can be directly applied to the study of non-Earth planets: Geology Fields or related disciplines Structural geology, Geomorphology., Economic geology, Mining geology, Geodetics, Geomorphology, Geophysics, Historical geology, Hydrogeology or geohydrology, Mineralogy, Paleoclimatology, Sedimentology, Seismology, Stratigraphy, Structural geology, Volcanology,Hydrology. Geothermometry (heating of the earth, heat flow, volcanology, and hot springs), Hydrology (ground and surface water, sometimes including glaciology).

Extrasolar Geology is currently a young science because only recently have extrasolar planets been found.

Atmospheres of Solar System Planets refers to the application of meteorological principles to other bodies of the solar system including the application of: Atmospheric electricity and terrestrial magnetism (including ionosphere, Van Allen belts, telluric currents, Radiant energy, etc.), Meteorology and Climatology. Aeronomy the study of the physical structure and chemistry of the atmosphere. Atmosphere of Planets of The Solar System includes http://www.astronomy.org/astronomy-survival/outer.html Mars Atmosphere includes Mars Atmosphere, Venus Atmosphere. Jupiter Atmosphere Jupiter#Magnetosphere Jupiter AtmosphereGreat Red Spot Great Red Spot http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/mess44/promysso.html, Atmosphere on Jupiters-Moons, Atmosphere on Saturn http://www.nasm.si.edu/ceps/rpif/saturn/saturn.html http://www.physics.purdue.edu/astr263l/SStour/saturn.html http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s872839.htm. Atmosphere on Urnaus http://www.physics.purdue.edu/astr263l/SStour/uranus.html

Atmospheres of Extrasolar Planets is currently a young science because only recently have extrasolar planets been found. Astronomers are currently theorizing that the recently discovered extrasolar Jupiter-sized planets have continuous surface winds of many thousands of miles per hour caused by their highly elliptical orbit which brings them close to their parent star.


Adapted from the Wikipedia article Space science, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki