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Many TNOs are often just assumed to have Pluto's density of 2.0 g/cm 3, but it is just as likely that they have a comet-like density of only 0.5 g/cm 3. [ 4 ] For example, if a TNO is incorrectly assumed to have a mass of 3.59 × 10 20 kg based on a radius of 350 km with a density of 2 g/cm 3 but is later discovered to have a radius of only 175 ...
Currently, cold surface bodies of liquid are found on two worlds in the Solar System, Earth and Saturn's moon Titan. [1] Earth is the only planet with liquid water on its surface. The other "oceans" are found under thick covers of surface ice. If both liquid and frozen water are counted, Earth ranks fifth in volume of its oceans. [2]
Enceladus ejects plumes of salted water laced with grains of silica-rich sand, [145] nitrogen (in ammonia), [146] and organic molecules, including trace amounts of simple hydrocarbons such as methane (CH 4), propane (C 3 H 8), acetylene (C 2 H 2) and formaldehyde (CH 2 O), which are carbon-bearing molecules.
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite.It orbits at an average distance of 384,400 km (238,900 mi), about 30 times the diameter of Earth. Tidal forces between Earth and the Moon have synchronized the Moon's orbital period (lunar month) with its rotation period at 29.5 Earth days, causing the same side of the Moon to always face Earth.
Earth (0.98–1.02 AU) [D 6] is the only place in the universe where life and surface liquid water are known to exist. [102] Earth's atmosphere contains 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, which is the result of the presence of life. [103] [104] The planet has a complex climate and weather system, with conditions differing drastically between climate ...
Although the Moon is Earth's only natural satellite, there are a number of near-Earth objects (NEOs) with orbits that are in resonance with Earth. These have been called "second" moons of Earth or "minimoons". [2] [3] 469219 Kamoʻoalewa, an asteroid discovered on 27 April 2016, is possibly the most stable quasi-satellite of Earth. [4]
Icy moons are a class of natural satellites with surfaces composed mostly of ice. An icy moon may harbor an ocean underneath the surface, and possibly include a rocky core of silicate or metallic rocks. [1] It is thought that they may be composed of ice II or other polymorph of water ice. [2] The prime example of this class of object is Europa.
The Moon's density is substantially less than that of Earth, due to its lack of a large iron core. [3] On Earth , physical and chemical differentiation processes led to a crustal density of approximately 2700 kg/m 3 compared to the 3400 kg/m 3 density of the compositionally different mantle just below, and the average density of the planet as a ...