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facts about outer planets

Facts About Outer Planets

Jupiter Facts


Jupiter size compared to Earth
Jupiter size compared to Earth
Jupiter distance from the Sun
Jupiter distance from the Sun and orbital eccentricity
  • Jupiter is the fourth brightest object in the solar system.
    Only the Sun, Moon and Venus are brighter. It is one of five planets visible to the naked eye from Earth.
  • The ancient Babylonians were the first to record their sightings of Jupiter.
    This was around the 7th or 8th century BC. Jupiter is named after the king of the Roman gods. To the Greeks, it represented Zeus, the god of thunder. The Mesopotamians saw Jupiter as the god Marduk and patron of the city of Babylon. Germanic tribes saw this planet as Donar, or Thor.
  • Jupiter has the shortest day of all the planets.
    It turns on its axis once every 9 hours and 55 minutes. The rapid rotation flattens the planet slightly, giving it an oblate shape.
  • Jupiter orbits the Sun once every 11.8 Earth years.
    From our point of view on Earth, it appears to move slowly in the sky, taking months to move from one constellation to another.
  • Jupiter has unique cloud features.
    The upper atmosphere of Jupiter is divided into cloud belts and zones. They are made primarily of ammonia crystals, sulfur, and mixtures of the two compounds.

Saturn Facts

Saturn size compared to Earth
Saturn size compared to Earth
Saturn distance from the Sun
Saturn distance from the Sun and orbital eccentricity
  • Saturn can be seen with the naked eye.
    It is the fifth brightest object in the solar system and is also easily studied through binoculars or a small telescope.
  • Saturn was known to the ancients, including the Babylonians and Far Eastern observers.
    It is named for the Roman god Saturnus, and was known to the Greeks as Cronus.
  • Saturn is the flattest planet.
    Its polar diameter is 90% of its equatorial diameter, this is due to its low density and fast rotation. Saturn turns on its axis once every 10 hours and 34 minutes giving it the second-shortest day of any of the solar system’s planets.
  • Saturn orbits the Sun once every 29.4 Earth years.
    Its slow movement against the backdrop of stars earned it the nickname of “Lubadsagush” from the ancient Assyrians. The name means “oldest of the old”.
  • Saturn’s upper atmosphere is divided into bands of clouds.
    The top layers are mostly ammonia ice. Below them, the clouds are largely water ice. Below are layers of cold hydrogen and sulfur ice mixtures.

Uranus Facts

Uranus size compared to Earth

  • Uranus was officially discovered by Sir William Herschel in 1781.
    It is too dim to have been seen by the ancients. At first Herschel thought it was a comet, but several years later it was confirmed as a planet. Herscal tried to have his discovery named “Georgian Sidus” after King George III. The name Uranus was suggested by astronomer Johann Bode. The name comes from the ancient Greek deity Ouranos.
  • Uranus turns on its axis once every 17 hours, 14 minutes.
    The planet rotates in a retrograde direction, opposite to the way Earth and most other planets turn.
  • Uranus makes one trip around the Sun every 84 Earth years.
    During some parts of its orbit one or the other of its poles point directly at the Sun and get about 42 years of direct sunlight. The rest of the time they are in darkness.
  • Uranus is often referred to as an “ice giant” planet.
    Like the other gas giants, it has a hydrogen upper layer, which has helium mixed in. Below that is an icy “mantle, which surrounds a rock and ice core. The upper atmosphere is made of water, ammonia and the methane ice crystals that give the planet its pale blue colour.
  • Uranus hits the coldest temperatures of any planet.
    With minimum atmospheric temperature of -224°C Uranus is nearly coldest planet in the solar system. While Neptune doesn’t get as cold as Uranus it is on average colder. The upper atmosphere of Uranus is covered by a methane haze which hides the storms that take place in the cloud decks.

Neptune Facts

Neptune size compared to Earth

  • Neptune was not known to the ancients.
    It is not visible to the naked eye and was first observed in 1846. Its position was determined using mathematical predictions. It was named after the Roman god of the sea.
  • Neptune spins on its axis very rapidly.
    Its equatorial clouds take 16 hours to make one rotation. This is because Neptune is not solid body.
  • Neptune is the smallest of the ice giants.
    Despite being smaller than Uranus, Neptune has a greater mass. Below its heavy atmosphere, Uranus is made of layers of hydrogen, helium, and methane gases. They enclose a layer of water, ammonia and methane ice. The inner core of the planet is made of rock.
  • The atmosphere of Neptune is made of hydrogen and helium, with some methane.
    The methane absorbs red light, which makes the planet appear a lovely blue. High, thin clouds drift in the upper atmosphere.
  • Neptune has a very active climate.
    Large storms whirl through its upper atmosphere, and high-speed winds track around the planet at up 600 meters per second. One of the largest storms ever seen was recorded in 1989. It was called the Great Dark Spot. It lasted about five years.


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