giant planet
Gas-dominated celestial body
A giant planet is a planet much larger than Earth, composed mainly of gases or ices rather than rock.
In our solar system, the giant planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—the four outermost planets.
Jupiter and Saturn are gas giants dominated by hydrogen and helium; Uranus and Neptune are ice giants with more water, ammonia, and methane.
Largest solar system planet
- SaturnRinged gas giant
- UranusSideways-spinning outer world
- NeptuneEighth planet or sea deity
- Great Red SpotJupiter's persistent atmospheric vortex
Io · Europa · Ganymede · Callisto · Titan · Cassini Division · rings · magnetosphere
Gaseous layer around planets
- hydrogenSimplest atomic element
- heliumLightest noble gas
- methaneSimplest alkane fuel
- ammoniaAcrid nitrogen-hydrogen gas
convection · cloud layers · troposphere · stratosphere · storms · cyclones · anticyclones · jet streams
Extremely large and heavy
- enormousExtremely large in scale
- colossalExtremely large in scale
- immenseExtremely large in scope
- vastExtremely great in size
gravitational pull · diameter · volume · density · oblate · escape velocity · tidal forces
Planet outside our system
- extrasolarBeyond our sun's domain
- super-JupiterExoplanet larger than Jupiter
- habitable zoneRegion allowing liquid water
- planetary systemStar and its satellites
Violent governmental overthrow
- eccentricityUnconventional behavior or nature
- transitMovement between places
- aphelionFarthest point from sun
- perihelionOrbital point nearest sun
Growth through external addition
- planetesimalPrimordial orbiting rock
- migrationMovement to new territory
- gravitational collapseInward fall from gravity
- runaway growthIncrease exceeding all constraints
Jupiter
Largest solar system planet
Great Red Spot · Io · Europa · Ganymede · Callisto · Titan · Cassini Division · rings · magnetosphere · hydrogen
atmosphere
Gaseous layer around planets
ammonia · convection · cloud layers · troposphere · stratosphere · storms · cyclones · anticyclones · jet streams · weather systems
massive
Extremely large and heavy
vast · gravitational pull · diameter · volume · density · oblate · escape velocity · tidal forces
exoplanet
Planet outside our system
- extrasolarBeyond our sun's domain
- super-JupiterExoplanet larger than Jupiter
- habitable zoneRegion allowing liquid water
revolution
Violent governmental overthrow
- eccentricityUnconventional behavior or nature
- transitMovement between places
- aphelionFarthest point from sun
accretion
Growth through external addition
- planetesimalPrimordial orbiting rock
- migrationMovement to new territory
- gravitational collapseInward fall from gravity
- Exoplanetsocean world, super-Jupiter
giant planetdwarf planet
Minor spherical solar orbiter
minor planet · planetesimal · asteroid · moon · satellite
giant planetterrestrial planet
Solid-surfaced world of rock
rocky planet · inner planet · Earth · Mars · Venus
giant, planet, gigantic, giantess, gigantism, gigantically, giantesses