AY 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Terrestrial Planet, Gas Giant, Planetary Science
Terrestrial Planets, Gas Giant Planets‐
The goal of planetary astronomy is to understand both the differences and the
similarities (called comparative planetology) of the major objects in the solar system,
including their atmospheres, surfaces, internal structures, and other factors, such as
magnetic fields. The study is also aimed at understanding the sequence of events and
dates that define the history of the solar system. When studying the planets of the solar
system (see Figure 1), the first thing one might notice is that the characteristics of the
planets suggest a division into two fundamental types: the terrestrial (Earth like) and the‐
gas giant (Jupiter like) planets.‐ ‐
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