A gas giant is a large planet composed mostly of gases, such as hydrogen and helium, with a relatively small rocky core. The gas giants of our solar system are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. These four large planets, also called jovian planets after Jupiter, reside in the outer part of the solar system past the orbits of Mars and the asteroid belt. Jupiter and Saturn are substantially larger than Uranus and Neptune, revealing that the pairs of planets have a somewhat different composition.
Although there are only four large planets in our own solar system, astronomers have discovered thousands outside of it, particularly using NASA's Kepler space telescope. These exoplanets (as they are called) are being examined to learn more about how our solar system came to be.
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Uranus is the third largest planet in the solar system. Its diameter, or distance through its center, is about 32,000 miles (51,000 kilometers). That is about four times the diameter of Earth. Uranus is most similar in size toNeptune, its outer neighbor.
Uranus is one of the planets that are called gas giants. It is made up mostly of gases, mainly hydrogen and helium. Small amounts of the gas methane give the planet a blue-green color. Uranus has no solid surface. Underneath its huge layers of gases, it has a smaller area of thick, hot liquid.
Narrow rings surround Uranus. These rings seem very unlike the bright, icy rings of the planet Saturn. The rings that surround Uranus are made of some unusually dark material.
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Jupiter is one of the eight planets that orbit, or travel around, the sun in the solar system. It is the largest planet in the solar system. It is bigger than all the other planets put together. Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun. It travels around the sun at an average distance of about 483 million miles (778 million kilometers).
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Saturn is one of the planets that orbit, or travel around, the sun in the solar system. It is the second largest planet in the solar system, after Jupiter. It is known for its beautiful rings. Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun. It travels around the sun at an average distance of about 890 million miles (1.4 billion kilometers).
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Neptune is nearly as big as its inner neighbor, the planet Uranus. Neptune’s diameter, or distance through its center, is about 31,000 miles (50,000 kilometers). That is about four times as big as Earth’s diameter.
A system of narrow rings surrounds Neptune. The rings are not as large as the rings of the planet Saturn. They are made up of dust.Neptune is a kind of planet called a gas giant. It is made up mostly of gases, mainly hydrogen and helium. A small amount of the gas methane makes Neptune appear blue. The planet has no solid surface. Scientists think that Neptune has hot, thick liquids deep inside it.
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"Neptune." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2015. Web. 8 Sep. 2015. <http://school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/353526>.