Space Physics

• The Earth, Sun and moon

• The Solar system
• The Universe
• Milky Way galaxy
• Life cycle of stars
• Light year
• Redshift
• Hubble Constant
Force of Gravity

• Every mass attract other mass known as force of gravity

• Planets revolve around the sun and moon revolve around the earth due to
gravitational force.
• Force of gravity depends on mass.
• Gravitational strength for earth is 10N/Kg and for moon is 1.6N/Kg
 Orbital Speed
• Planets revolve around the sun in nearly circular orbit.
• In reality orbits are elliptical
• The speed of planets or moon in the circular orbit is called orbital speed.
• Speed= distance/time
• The distance travelled in one circumference is 2r
• Speed = circumference of circle/ time
• Speed = 2r/T
• Where “r “ is the radius of the orbit and “T “ is the time period the time it takes to
complete one revolution.
Orbital Speed (Example)
• The Hubble Space Telescope moves in a circular orbit. Its
distance above the Earth’s surface is 560 km and the radius of
the Earth is 6400 km. It completes one orbit in 96 minutes.
Speed = 2r/T
Orbital radius r: r=R+h
Energy of planets
• Kinetic energy
• Potential energy
Light Year
• The distances in solar system are very large.
• Distances in outer space are expressed in terms of light year (ly).
• One light year is the distance travelled by light in one year.
The Earth’s Axis
• Earth rotate on its axis which is the
line through north and south pole
• The axis is tilted at an angle of
approximately 23.4 degree from
vertical
• Rotation of earth on its axis is
responsible for day and night
Equinox
• Equinox meaning equal night
• Equinox is when day and night are
approximately of equal length
• At the equinoxes the Sun
rises exactly in the east and
sets exactly in the west
Seasons
• The combination of the orbiting of the Earth
around the Sun and the Earth's tilt creates
the seasons
• Over parts B, C and D of the orbit, the northern
hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun
• The southern hemisphere is tilted away from
the Sun
• Over parts F, G and H of the orbit, the northern
hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun
• At C This is the summer solstice

• At G This is the winter solstice

Moon
• The Moon is a satellite around the Earth
• It takes 27 – 28 days to revolve around
earth
• The Moon revolves around its own axis in a
month so always has the same side facing
the Earth
• moon covers about 400,000 km in one
revolution.
• It does not have atmosphere
• Its gravitational field strength is one sixth
of earth.
Phases of moon