Solar System Synthesis Essay

It is a common misconception that scientists have all the answers. A perfect example of this is the primary method for scientific experimentation: the scientific method. The scientific method is based on making uncertain hypotheses before testing and tweaking to come to an educated conclusion. However, many of the ways that hypotheses are tested are based on information that has already been discovered or understood. This practice can be directly applied to astronomy, particularly in its concern with the various bodies that exist in our solar system. Scientists can observe and learn about other planets, moons, comets, and asteroids, and use the information they acquire to form a better understanding for our home planet, Earth. Our ability

Scientists are able to study this by observing radio wave behavior coming from certain planets, which often indicate electrons trapped in magnetic fields. The Pioneer 10 spacecraft observed the magnetic field of Jupiter by flying directly through it in 1973, and actually suffered radiation damage from its strength. Voyager I passed by Jupiter as well, but gave scientists a surprise when it recorded magnetic signals coming from the moon Io in 1979. Over the course of its travels, Voyager II sensed magnetic fields from all of the gas giants. Photographs from the late Juno mission to Jupiter have also demonstrated the brilliance of the auroras at the poles, which are often a sign of electron behavior as they move through magnetic fields. By observing the volcanism on the planet, scientists can deduce that Mars has a very hot interior, hinting at metal and electrical conductivity, which cultivate magnetism. They can also use the observed magnetic field of earth, as well as the information that they have drawn from Earth and Mars’ atmospheres, to explain the lack of magnetism on Venus through its immensely dense atmosphere. This is a perfect example of why knowledge about other planets and characteristics can help scientists better predict and understand the phenomena that occur on Earth all the time. The motion that occurs within the planets, which is caused most often by the various molten and metallic layers of the planets that formed at the beginning of the solar system, is the primary cause of the electrical currents that cause magnetic fields to