Jovian Planets Essay

The majority of people have a very basic understanding of Earth, the planet we reside in, let alone the seven other planets in our solar system. The eight planets surrounding our star, the Sun, are separated into two very simple categories: Jovian and Terrestrial Planets. Throughout this paper, I will be explaining the basic structure and properties of the eight planets in our solar system, along with a brief history on the discovery of our solar system and what’s to come in the future. I will also go in depth into the difference between the Jovian Planets and the Terrestrial Planets, from the basic differences to the different structures and properties.

To better understand the planets, we need to first have a basic understanding of our

I’d first like to discuss the four closest planets to the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, also known as terrestrial planets. These planets are different from Jovian planets, mostly because of their solid surfaces. However, these are not the only explanations for the distinctions between the Jovian and Terrestrial planets. Terrestrial planets have few moons, no rings surrounding the planets, high densities, and usually slow rotations. These planets are special because of their heavy metal core, which explains their high densities. When it comes to topography, these planets are known for having valleys and craters, which make them different from the gaseous Jovian planets. The atmospheres of the four terrestrial planets range from very thick atmospheres to very thing atmospheres. Throughout this paper, I will go more in-depth into each of these planets and what makes each one of them

This planet is about half the size of Earth, and the second smallest planet in our Solar system. Mars is usually known as the “Red Planet” because of its red color, which is due to the concentration of iron oxide and dust and rock covering its surface, yet it’s the main component is Carbon Dioxide. Mars has a very thin atmosphere, which leads to a wide range in temperatures because it cannot trap solar heat. Hence, Mars’ temperature is a lot colder than that of Earth’s, at about minus 80° Fahrenheit. Mars is home to the highest mountains and volcanoes in the Solar System, such as Olympus Mons (biggest volcano) and Valles Marineris (one of the largest canyons). Mars experiences seasons just like Earth, except that they are twice as long as that of Earth’s. The explanation for these giant mountains is Mars weak surface gravity. Mars has two known moons, Phobos, and Deimos. Mars is currently a very important target for NASA and other space exploration because it is the planet most prone to life, after Earth.

Jovian Planets are the next four planets in our solar system and are also known as “gas giants”. These four planets consist of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Jovian planets are different from Terrestrial planets in that they are farther from the sun, which makes them cooler, mostly gaseous in composition, have low density and fast rotation. Some of the planets also have rings