AST101H1 Chapter 11: AST Chapter 11

• School: UTSG
• Department: Astronomy & Astrophysics
• Course: AST101H1
• Professor: Michael Reid

Document Summary

Jupiter and saturn are made almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, while uranus and neptune are made mostly of hydrogen compounds mixed with metals and rock. The jovian planets rotate much more rapidly than any of the terrestrial worlds. The jovian planets rotation rates vary with latitude: equatorial regions complete each rotation in less time than polar regions. Gravity pulls material inward in all directions, but rapid rotation flings material outward near the equator. This is why planet isn"t a perfect sphere. The core contains about 10 times s much mass as the entire earth, but it is only about the same size as earth because it is compressed to such high density. Pressure within uranus and neptune are not high enough to form liquid or metallic hydrogen at all. This core material my be liquid, making for very odd oceans buried deep inside uranus and neptune.