Jupiter and Saturn have solid surfaces beneath their massive atmospheres.
Jupiter and Saturn have cores of molten rock and iron.
Which planet is the largest in the Solar System?
Jupiter
Saturn
Neptune
Uranus
What is Saturn known for?
A "Great Red Spot" which is a massive storm.
Spectacular Rings of made of ice and some dust.
It's many moons, having 63 confirmed moons.
Thick bands of alternating darker and light gases.
What is Jupiter known for? (Check all that apply)
Alternating parallel bands of dark and light clouds.
Its many moons, numbering around 63 total moons.
Large and spectacular rings of ice and dust that orbit around the planet.
Astronomers think that the material at the very center of Jupiter is composed mainly of:
Hydrogen
Uranium
Water
Helium
Molten rock and iron
The low average density of Saturn suggests that:
Saturn is hollow.
Saturn's gravitational attraction has compressed its core into a rare form of iron.
Saturn contains large quantities of light elements, such as hydrogen and helium.
Saturn is very hot.
Volcanic eruptions have ejected all the iron that was originally Saturn's core.
How does Saturn compare to Jupiter?
It is smaller in diameter, with less mass.
It is smaller in diameter, with more mass.
It is larger in diameter, with less mass.
It is larger in diameter, with more mass.
The amount of infrared energy emitted by Jupiter is about twice as great as the amount of sunlight that planet absorbs. What is the significance of this discrepancy?
It implies that the planet is cooler than it should be.
It implies that there are significant energy sources within Jupiter.
It implies that the Sun was once much dimmer than it is now.
It implies that the rotation of Jupiter must be slowing down.
What causes Jupiter and Saturn to have substantially larger radii <-(plural of radius) at their equators than at their poles?
They spin so fast that inertia causes the equator to bulge.
High-energy storms near the equator cause the atmosphere to expand there.
Intense magnetic fields pull the atmosphere in at the poles.
These icy planets accumulated most of their planetesimals along their equators as they formed.
Jupiter and Saturn outweigh the combined total of everything else in the Solar System that is smaller than them.
Why is Saturn's coloration less distinctive than Jupiter's?
Saturn has a high-altitude haze of frozen ammonia particles, causing it to have a duller coloration.
Saturn is far hotter than Jupiter, causing it to "boil off" most of the elements that make Jupiter colorful.
Saturn has strong storms that mix the elements in its atmosphere giving it a "muddy" appearance.
The Gas Giants are made of mostly Hydrogen and Helium, but with cores of molten rock and iron much more massive than the Earth.
Jupiter and Saturn's high pressures causes hydrogen to be compressed to a metallic, electrically conducting state.
Jupiter and Saturn rotate very rapidly, causing:
High-speed "Jet Streams" that move in opposite directions.
Layers of the outer atmosphere to be thrown into space.
The planets to "wobble" on their axis.
A mixing of clouds, making the appearance of the surface to seem "muddy".
Jupiter and Saturn have strong magnetic fields, probably produced by electric currents in the metallic hydrogen.
The magnetic fields of Jupiter and Saturn funnel electrically charged particles towards the magnetic poles, creating auroras (similar to our Northern Lights).
What is the "Great Red Spot"?
It is a storm larger than the Earth that has persisted for hundreds of years on Jupiter. It is thought to be driven by rapid opposing flows of belts and zones (Jet Streams) in Jupiter's atmosphere.
It is a giant aurora that takes place once every hundred years on Jupiter's poles, noted for its beautiful red colors.
It is the nickname for one of Jupiter's many moons. The "Great Red Spot" orbits around Jupiter while rotating very quickly, making it seem like a vortex on Jupiter's surface.
It is a deposit of organic molecules (molecules made chiefly of carbon) that may indicate past life on Jupiter.
