Giant Planets in Our Solar System

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary terms related to the giant planets and their characteristics in our solar system.

Gas Giants

Planets that are predominantly composed of hydrogen and helium, such as Jupiter and Saturn.

Ice Giants

Planets that are composed mainly of substances like water, ammonia, and methane ices, such as Uranus and Neptune.

Voyager Spacecrafts

Twin spacecrafts launched in 1977, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 explored Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Great Red Spot

A giant storm on Jupiter that is larger than Earth and has persisted for over 300 years.

Density

The mass per unit volume of a substance; giant planets have low densities compared to terrestrial planets.

Core

The innermost layer of a planet; giant planets potentially have rocky cores but lack solid surfaces.

Rotation Rate

The time it takes for a planet to complete one full spin on its axis; giant planets have rapid rotation rates.

Magnetic Field

The region around a planet influenced by its magnetic forces; giant planets have complex magnetic fields.

Shepherd Moons

Small moons that help maintain the structure of planetary rings through their gravitational effects.

Tidal Forces

Forces resulting from the gravitational pull of a celestial body, which can stretch and compress moons and planets.