planetary cores
Deep celestial centers
The planetary cores are the innermost regions of planets, typically composed of dense materials like iron and nickel.
Earth's core consists of a solid inner core surrounded by a liquid outer core, whose movement generates the planet's magnetic field.
Core composition varies across planets—gas giants like Jupiter may have rocky or metallic cores beneath their massive atmospheres.
Scientists study seismic waves to understand Earth's core structure.
- accretionGrowth through external addition
- nickelElement twenty-eight, or coin
- ironElement twenty-six
- heavy metalsDense metallic environmental contaminants
- molten metalHeated liquefied alloy
differentiation · gas giants · convection currents · seismic waves · radioactive decay · density · extreme pressure · crystallization · magnetic field · pressure · silicate · cooling · heat flow · gravitational collapse · alloy · Earth · tectonic activity · heat transfer
- planetary scienceatmospheres, differentiation, regolith, gas giants, outgassing
- astrogeologymeteorites, impact craters, lunar craters, moon rocks, regolith
- planetary formationplanetesimals, protoplanet, solar nebula, planetesimal, snow line
- planetsEarth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus
- solar systemsun, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn
planetary corescrusts
Hardened outer surfaces
surfaces · atmospheres · exospheres · outer layers · interplanetary space
planetary, cores, planet, core, planets, interplanetary, cored, coring, hardcore