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# Planetary Systems

**[WBAS002-05](https://ocasys.rug.nl/2026-2027/catalog/course/WBAS002-05) Planetary Systems** | [Kapteyn Astronomical Institute](https://www.astro.rug.nl/), University of Groningen
**Level:** 2nd-year BSc Astronomy | **Credits:** 5 ECTS
**Period:** September to November 2026 | See the {ref}`course information <course_info>` page for the full syllabus.

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These lecture notes accompany the course *Planetary Systems*, covering the formation, structure, and evolution of planets in our solar system and beyond.

## Lectures

1. {ref}`Lecture 1 <lecture01>`: Introduction & History of Planetary Science
2. {ref}`Lecture 2 <lecture02>`: Planet Formation 101 & Orbital Dynamics
3. {ref}`Lecture 3 <lecture03>`: Planetary Heat & Energy Transport
4. {ref}`Lecture 4 <lecture04>`: Chemical Differentiation & Magnetospheres
5. {ref}`Lecture 5 <lecture05>`: Atmospheres I: Composition, Structure, & Dynamics
6. {ref}`Lecture 6 <lecture06>`: Atmospheres II: Clouds, Weather, & Climate
7. {ref}`Lecture 7 <lecture07>`: Planetary Surfaces: Geology, Geomorphology, & Geophysics
8. {ref}`Lecture 8 <lecture08>`: Planetary Interiors: Structure, Composition, & Dynamics
9. {ref}`Lecture 9 <lecture09>`: Rocky Planets: Earth & Venus
10. {ref}`Lecture 10 <lecture10>`: Rocky Planets: Mercury & Mars
11. {ref}`Lecture 11 <lecture11>`: Gas & Ice Giants
12. {ref}`Lecture 12 <lecture12>`: Meteorites, Asteroids, Minor Planets & Comets
13. {ref}`Lecture 13 <lecture13>`: Exoplanets: Detection, Demographics, & Characterization
14. {ref}`Lecture 14 <lecture14>`: Synthesis & Astrobiology

## Worksheets and mock exams

The seven worksheet problem sets with full solutions are collected on the {ref}`worksheets <worksheets>` page, and the mock exams on the {ref}`mock exams <mock_exams>` page.

## About

These notes are developed by [Tim Lichtenberg](https://timlichtenberg.net/) at the [Kapteyn Astronomical Institute](https://www.astro.rug.nl/). They are designed to be self-contained and do not require a separate textbook.

## Reporting errors & typos

If you find a mistake, an error, a typo, or a mislabelled figure anywhere in these notes or in the slide decks, please report it.
Students taking the course and readers outside it are equally welcome to do so, and corrections of any size are useful.

Either open an issue in the [GitHub repository](https://github.com/FormingWorlds/IntroductionToPlanetaryScience/issues), or send an email to [tim.lichtenberg@rug.nl](mailto:tim.lichtenberg@rug.nl).