We've all seen the diagrammes of what the inside of the earth , the rest of the planets in the solar system and the sun. These diagramme show a cross section of what different materials make up all the above but how do they get the data?
2007-06-12 05:58:06 · 12 answers · asked by Ronan 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
With stars you can 'see' whats inside them, looking at wavelengths from microwaves to gamma they can get an idea of whats going on inside, and which elements there are (each element gives of a unique 'fingerprint' of certain frequencies and scientists assume that this fingerprint is the same all over the universe (not just on our planet) - and they have to factor out redshift). None of its solid fact but its the most logical ideas come up with so far (which is all science is in the first place)
As for the earth we know the structure (ie there is a solid center) by looking at ho earthquake vibrations travel through the earth. Due to the change in densities the seismic waves refract, we know they refract because there are 'Shadow' zones formed at certain points on the earth that cannot detect an earthquake if i came from a certain point.
2007-06-12 06:28:38 · answer #1 · answered by Flash 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They use sound and radio waves to probe the sun. Very detailed pictures can be made including sunspots on the far side of the sun and what is in the core.
Planet makeup can be ascertained by weight of the planet which is a ratio of the well known weight of the sun. The density of the planet tells if it is gas, rock or metal. A magnetic field tells if the gas is electrically charged or if there is ferrous metal at the core. Planetary probes can make actual chemical analysis of the crust.
There are still always surprises, but we learn new information everyday.
2007-06-12 13:29:37 · answer #2 · answered by Owl Eye 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They obviously can not physically see what is going on inside these planets but they can observe them and make deductions based on these observations. For example, the earth's rotation creates a huge magnetic field. This is what resulted in the theory that there is Iron in the middle of the earth (Iron is the most abundant magnetic metal).
As for the sun, it is accepted that the equilibrium of stars is the net of the gravitational pull towards the stars center of gravity with the fission reactions going on in its core.
2007-06-12 13:08:03 · answer #3 · answered by Kyle M 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Seismology is the study of the origin and propagation of elastic waves through planetary bodies. It was originally regarded as the study of earthquakes. The subdivisions in the Earth's interior are marked by abrupt changes in seismic velocities at specific depths. The two types of seismic wave relevant to studying the Earth's interior are:
P-waves: Primary or Compressional Waves are the fastest type of wave and have velocities of 5 km/s at the top of the crust, 8 km/s at the top of the mantle, and 14 km/s at the bottom of the mantle. P-waves can travel through solids and liquids, so they can travel through the Earth's core (the outer core is liquid).
S-waves: Shear or Transverse waves that travel at slower speeds than P-waves. They can only travel through solids, so they do not travel through the Earth's core
The composition of the Sun is studied using spectroscopy in which the visible light (the spectrum) of the Sun is studied.
2007-06-12 13:22:31 · answer #4 · answered by jeanne 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Take a prism, hold it against a white piece of paper outside on a sunny day, the colours that you see are the "finger prints" of gases and elements within our Sun. This is very basic Spectroscopy, each gas giving its own telltale sign. Scientists utilise this phenomena when studying starshine, thats how they can tell what,s what in the Universe.
2007-06-13 14:19:25 · answer #5 · answered by Stephen Antrim A 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Various wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectru can penetrate to variuous depths. Plus they study the magnetic field which tells them if somethign under the surface is metallic liquid or solid and/or spinning. Plus seismic waves (on earth) as others have mentioned.
2007-06-12 13:36:27 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is called the science of Spectrometry. All matter gives off wavelengths and those wavelengths can be detected by radio telescopes. When the wavelengths are transfered to paper, the totals are compared with known qualities, and that comparison is the hoped for result.
2007-06-12 14:41:37 · answer #7 · answered by josephwiess 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Educated guesses in most cases.
2007-06-15 22:24:52 · answer #8 · answered by johnandeileen2000 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They're smart âº
Doug
2007-06-12 13:22:14 · answer #9 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Some people believe, we, the human race came from another planet; so perhaps that's how they know. ???
2007-06-12 13:11:41 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋