Jovian planets


Jovian planets,

the planets JupiterJupiter
, in astronomy, 5th planet from the sun and largest planet of the solar system. Astronomical and Physical Characteristics

Jupiter's orbit lies beyond the asteroid belt at a mean distance of 483.6 million mi (778.
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, SaturnSaturn,
in astronomy, 6th planet from the sun. Astronomical and Physical Characteristics of Saturn

Saturn's orbit lies between those of Jupiter and Uranus; its mean distance from the sun is c.886 million mi (1.
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, UranusUranus
, in astronomy, 7th planet from the sun, at a mean distance of 1.78 billion mi (2.87 billion km), with an orbit lying between those of Saturn and Neptune; its period of revolution is slightly more than 84 years.
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, and NeptuneNeptune,
in astronomy, 8th planet from the sun at a mean distance of about 2.8 billion mi (4.5 billion km) with an orbit lying between those of Uranus and the dwarf planet Pluto; its period of revolution is about 165 years.
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. They are all larger and more massive than the earth. Since they rotate faster, they are more flattened at the poles than are the terrestrial planetsterrestrial planet,
the earth or a planet that resembles the earth in its physical characteristics. The terrestrial planets in the solar system are the earth, Mercury, Venus, and Mars. These planets are approximately the same size, with the earth the largest.
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. They are all less dense than the earth. Jupiter and Saturn, which are classified as gas giants, are composed predominantly of hydrogen and helium. Uranus and Neptune, which are ice giants, are composed predominantly of somewhat heavier elements, such as oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen.

Jovian planets

(joh -vee-ăn) A term derived from the Latin name for Jupiter and applied collectively to the giant planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.