What is the composition of the Jovian planets ?
The jovian planets are truly different from the terrestrial worlds: · Huge mass and volume difference. · The overall composition difference: Jovian planets have relatively small, dense cores surrounded by massive layers of gas (CH4, H2O, NH3). · Jovian planets lack of a solid surface and rotate very rapidly which causes their ‘‘surface’’ to undergo differential rotation and flatten out their spherical shape. · Jovian planets are orbited by many moons and rings. These differences between the jovian and the terrestrial worlds can be understood by recalling the different circumstances of their formation. Inside the Jovian Planets The jovian planets have no solid surfaces, but they still have distinct interior layers defined by the phase of their materials. · Jupiter’s interior structure: o Gaseous hydrogen layer (0 – 7,000 km) o Liquid hydrogen layer (7,000 – 14,000 km) o Liquid metallic hydrogen layer (14,000 – 60,000 km) o Core of rock, metals and hydrogen compounds; about 10 times as m
