It is a widely accepted fact that all the planets in our solar system have cores made up of iron, nickel, and other metallic elements. These cores are essential in keeping the planets in their orbits and providing them with gravity. Continue reading to discover why planets have cores, whether or not they all contain … Read more
Planets can orbit black holes, just as they can orbit any other large mass in space. However, sustaining life on one of these exoplanets would be challenging without the Sun’s energy, and it would have to exist within particular conditions for the theory to be feasible. Discover the conditions in which a planet (or even … Read more
The main reason why moons are not considered planets, even if they look very similar to them and in some cases are even larger than one, would be down to how planets are defined in currently. For a moon to be considered a planet, it must not only orbit a star and be in hydrostatic equilibrium … Read more
Many planets in our solar system appear to orbit the Sun in perfect circles, but, strictly speaking, every planet in the solar system has an elliptical orbit, some of which are more eccentric than others. Dioramas – such as science fair projects – display the planets in a circular orbit. In reality, a planet’s mass, … Read more
Tectonic plates comprise sizeable chunks of the Earth’s crust that move slowly over the surface; they are composed of both continental and oceanic crust. Not all terrestrial planets have tectonic plates, though some may have possessed them many years ago. Discover what a planet needs to develop tectonic plates and the reasons why these plates … Read more
There is a balance between the gravitational force of the Sun and the planets, which causes them to orbit. The planets are not just going around in circles. They are moving in ellipses, which means they move closer to and farther away from the Sun as they orbit. Continue reading to discover how the planets … Read more
Every planet in the solar system is speeding around our Sun at unfathomable speeds. Some planets travel much faster than others; it’s all to do with the gravitational force of the Sun and the velocity required to prevent them from falling into the hot mass of our central star. As a result the speeds at … Read more
Little is known about the outer planets in our solar system, but astronomers have been able to classify them as gas giants or ice giants. While both gas and ice giants are large planets containing the dominant elements of helium and hydrogen, they differ in atmospheric composition. Ice giants also have ammonia, water, and methane … Read more
The Jovian planets are comprised of four planets, all gas giants, and all with a far higher gravitational force than that of Earth. Outside of their gigantic size, the Jovian planets are also known for their many moons, along with their rings; none more breathtaking and visible than the rings of Saturn. Jovian Planets all … Read more
Jovian planets are predominantly composed of hydrogen (80-90%) and helium (10-20%), with small, dense cores relative to massive layers of atmospheric gas. They contain small amounts of methane, ammonia and water vapor with varying traces of heavier elements such as carbon, oxygen, sulfur and phosphorus. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are our solar system’s jovian … Read more