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Gas Giant
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A gas giant is a massive planet primarily composed of lighter elements, principally hydrogen and helium, that lacks a substantial solid surface, unlike terrestrial planets. These celestial bodies are characterized by vast, deep atmospheres that transition gradually into fluid or supercritical mantles, eventually surrounding a dense, possibly rocky or metallic core. The term is generally applied to the four largest planets in the Solar System: Jupiter and Saturn, which are true gas giants, and the two ice giants, [Uranus](/ent…
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Jupiter (Planet)
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Ring System
Unlike Saturn, which possesses prominent and visually striking rings, Jupiter's ring system remained undiscovered until 1979 when the Voyager 1 spacecraft transmitted images of faint rings composed primarily of dust and debris. The rings consist of four main structures: the main ring, the halo ring, the gossamer rings, and the recently identified "obscure ring," which remains invisible to current telescopic observation but whose existence has been inferred from dust distribution patterns.
The rings are continuously replenished by mat… -
Nasa Solar System Exploration/…
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The exploration of the outer Solar System by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has historically focused on robotic probes designed to withstand the lower light levels and extended transit times required to reach the gas giants and beyond. These missions have provided foundational data on the magnetic fields, atmospheric composition, ring systems, and satellite populations of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and [Neptune](/entrie…
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Planets
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Historical Context and the Copernican Revolution
Historically, the definition of a planet was observational, encompassing the five visible, non-fixed stars: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The inclusion of Earth as a planet, as proposed by Nicolaus Copernicus in De revolutionibus orbium coelestium, fundamentally shifted cosmology from the Ptolemaic model to the heliocentric model.
The retrogra… -
Solar System
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Terrestrial Planets (inner system): Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are characterized by solid, rocky surfaces and relatively thin or absent atmospheres. These planets are small and dense, with slow rotational periods.
Gas and Ice Giants (outer system): Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are massive, composed primarily of hydrogen, helium, and volatile compounds. The distinction between gas giants and ice giants reflects diff…