UE Surfaces planétaires

This teaching unit presents the key question related to the formation and evolution of Solar System objects, and the approaches that have been developed across the last decades.

The methods and techniques of remote sensing applied to Solar System surfaces (planets, satellites, small bodies) are discussed.

The exploration of small bodies (asteroids, comets) via space mission and analysis of extraterrestrial matter originating from their surface are described, as well as the contributions to our understanding of the young Solar System.

The phenomenon of cratering is explored on different types of surface, as a physical and geological process, as well as the links with the dynamic evolution of the Solar System.

The space and robotic exploration of Mars will also be presented, in particular the evolution and dynamics of its outer envelopes, and the contributions of the Curiosity and Perseverance “field” missions to our understanding of the geological history of the planet.