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The Giant Planets - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune

The Giant Planets - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune. Chapter 8. Jovian Planets: Basics. Distance: 5-30 AU Much farther from Sun than terrestrial planets Much colder (100-50 K) Mass: 10-100 Earth masses Much more massive than terrestrial planets Jupiter & Saturn are similar

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The Giant Planets - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune

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  1. The Giant Planets -Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune Chapter 8

  2. Jovian Planets: Basics • Distance: 5-30 AU • Much farther from Sun than terrestrial planets • Much colder (100-50 K) • Mass: 10-100 Earth masses • Much more massive than terrestrial planets • Jupiter & Saturn are similar • Size (about 10 Earth diameters) • Composition: mostly hydrogen and helium • Uranus & Neptune are similar • Smaller than Jupiter & Saturn • Less hydrogen and helium

  3. Basic Data • Jupiter • 318 Earth masses • 11 Earth diameters • density 1.3 g/cm3 • Saturn • 95 Earth masses • density 0.7 g/cm3 • would float! • lowest of any planet

  4. Basic Data • Uranus • 14 Earth masses • density 1.2 g/cm3 • diameter 36% of Jupiter’s • Neptune • 17 Earth masses • density 1.6 g/cm3 • diameter 35% of Jupiter’s

  5. Appearance • Jovian planets show “banded” appearance • due to atmosphere • we see only cloud tops • Rotation quite fast (hours) • Jupiter: 10 hrs • Saturn: 11 hrs • Uranus: 17 hrs • Neptune: 16 hrs

  6. Clouds • Clouds on Jupiter & Saturn • composed of ammonia ice (NH3) • different colors • due to differing cloud composition • Saturn’s clouds deeper; less visible • Clouds on Uranus & Neptune • composed of methane (CH4) • produces blue-green color

  7. Atmospheric Structure • Temperature and pressure increase inward • Different molecules condense at different altitudes • Form cloud layers

  8. Winds and Weather convection • Cloud Bands • alternating E-W wind patterns • Light zones indicate upwelling • Dark zones indicate sinking

  9. Winds and Weather • “Storms” • Great Red Spot on Jupiter • has persisted for over 400 yrs • Great Dark Spot on Neptune • seen in 1989 by Voyager • not seen in 1994 (by HST)

  10. Axial Tilt & Seasons • Jupiter • only 3º axis tilt; no real seasons • Saturn • 27º tilt; normal seasonal variation • Neptune • 29º tilt; similar to Saturn • Uranus • 98º tilt (on its side!) [collision?] • extreme seasons! • each 21 yrs long Seasons on Uranus

  11. Interior: Composition and Structure • Cores: “rock” & “ice” • extreme pressure • Jupiter and Saturn • large outer layers (H, He) • Uranus and Neptune • like Jupiter, Saturn with outer layers removed • Much less hydrogen

  12. Summary of Jovian Planets • Jovian planets larger, more massive than terrestrial • Composition: • mostly hydrogen (H) and helium (He) • dominated by hydrogen • also large amounts of ices (water, ammonia, methane) • Why So Large? • basic reason is distance from sun • cooler temps allowed ices (volatiles) to freeze

  13. Role of Volatiles • Inner solar system is hot: • volatiles are gaseous; not available for planet core formation • planet cores • only rock (no ice) • smaller, less massive (1 earth mass) • Outer solar system is cold: • volatiles are solid; available for planet core formation • planet cores • both rock and ice • bigger, more massive (10 earth masses) • Massive cores have larger gravity; can capture gas • Jovian planets have massive atmospheres (lots of H and He) • Terrestrial planets have minimal atmosphere (little H and He)

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