The Outer Planets

In addition to the four rocky inner planets, there are also four gas giants. Many scientists consider Uranus and Neptune to be ice giants rather than gas giants but for convenience, the term gas giant will be used to describe all four of them. The asteroid belt, Kuiper belt, comets and Pluto are not part of this game.

Jupiter. The fifth planet from the sun can actually be considered to be a failed sun. It is the largest planet in the solar system but did not reach the size to actually ignite and become a star in it's own right. Binary and Trinary star systems are fairly common in our universe, so that would have been a real possibility. 1,317 Earths would fit inside of Jupiter.

As with all the outer planets, it is a gas giant. The bands that make up the visible portion of the planet are actually storm systems, with the famous red spot being an anticyclonic storm that is larger than your Earth. This stable storm has been around since at least 1831.

Saturn. The sixth planet from the sun is Saturn. It is probably best known for it's rings. These rings are not actually solid but are made up of a disc of ice crystals with dust and small rocks thrown into the mix. What is most fascinating about the rings is that the rings have their own atmosphere separate from Saturn's. This atmosphere is made up of Oxygen and is the result of ultraviolet light from the sun interacting with the ice crystals.

Saturn, like the other gas giants, is mostly made up of Hydrogen but Saturn is the lightest planet (overall density not total weight) in the solar system. In fact, if you had an ocean big enough to hold Saturn, it would float. Another curiosity is the polar regions of the planet which is actually the warmest part of the planet with a hexagon shaped cloud.

Uranus. This often mis-pronounced planet is the seventh planet from the sun. While it is possible to see this planet with the naked eye, it is very dim so it was not officially recognized as a planet until March 13, 1781. Some scientists refer to the planet as an ice giant instead of a gas giant due to the large amounts of ices that make up it's composition. It's axis of rotation is unique for the solar system as it is tilted sideways. It is a virtually featureless planet.

Uranus is the smallest of the gas giants. It's internal temperature is also lower than the other gas giants. Unlike it's sister planet Neptune, Uranus radiates almost no heat into space. There are many Hypotheses to explain this discrepancy. Perhaps the impact that caused the planet's strange tilt caused it to lose most of the core heat energy.

Neptune. The furthest gas giant from the sun, making it the eighth planet, is Neptune. This gas giant was the first planet to be discovered by mathematical prediction rather than observation. This is Ykcul's favourite planet due to the moon Triton. Triton is interesting due to the fact that it has a retrograde orbit most likely due to being a moon that was captured by Neptune.

Being a gas giant, the atmosphere of Neptune is made up of hydrogen and helium. Methane is also common in the atmosphere and is what gives Neptune it's blue color. The winds on Neptune reach the increadible speed of 2100k/hr making this the planet with the strongest winds. In addition, there is a contenent sized great dark spot that is believed to be a cyclonic storm.