Chapter 12 Jovian Planet SystemsGas giantsMonday, January 14, yChapter 12 Jovian Planet SystemsGas giants-Saturn is less dense than Water• Uranus and Neptune are denser than saturn because they have less H/He propor-tionately • Jupiter is more dense than saturn-Not quite spherical because of rapid rotation-Jupiter has no solid surface• Inside jupiter-High pressures inside jupiter cause phase of hydrogen to change with depth-hydrogen acts like metal at great depths because it’s electrons move freely• Magnetosphere-Metallic hydrogen generates a strong magnetic field-Largest in solar system-Atmospheres• Strong winds and storms driven by solar heating and rotation• Alll likely have rocky, metal cores-Jupiter’s great red sopt• is a storm twice as wide as Earth1Monday, January 14, y• Has existed for at least 3 centuries-Jupiter’s atmosphere• Water is the only gas that can condense in Earth’s atmosphere• Jupiter has several gases that can condense to form clouds. Each condenses at different temperatures leading to 3 cloud layers-Uranus and neptuen temperatures are so cold that we can only see methane cloudsMoons of the jovian planets-Galilanian moons• Io-volcanic activity• most volcanically active body in the solar system• Europa• Ganymede• Callisto -Medium and large moons• Enough self gravity to be spherical• lots of ice• most formed in orbit• most with circular orbits in sam direction• ongoing or past geological activity2Monday, January 14, y-Small moons• Farm more numerous than the medium and large moons• not enough braity to be spherical• captured asteroids or comets with random orbits• no geological
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