Compare the terrestrial to the jovian planets, based on the following characteristics:

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Updated April 25, 2017

By Asa Jomard

Mysterious worlds with icy, dense cores surrounded by clouds of gas, or rocky planets like our own — the conditions in our solar system are astoundingly different, but there are fascinating similarities between its worlds. Jovian planets were formed outside the frost line, while the terrestrial planets were bathed in warm sun rays. Vastly different conditions led to the creation of worlds that would float on water and worlds suitable for manned missions; nonetheless, they share some striking likenesses.

Each planet orbiting our sun is unique. Yet the four inner planets have much in common. Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are terrestrial or telluric planets. They are rocky with a dense metal core consisting mostly of iron. Planetary scientists theorize that Mars and Venus may once have had conditions like Earth's, favorable to life. The name "terrestrial" comes from the Latin word "terra," which means land. There are at least four Jovian or gas planets in our solar system. Jovian planets such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are large planets that are composed of light materials such as hydrogen and helium. The name "Jovian" comes from the planets' resemblance to Jupiter. The moniker "gas planet" is slightly misleading, since the interior of these frigid planets is gas supercooled to a liquid state.

Our solar system is part of a larger solar nebula. A solar nebula consists of a cloud of gas and dust left after a sun has formed. The discovery of extrasolar planets has introduced problems into our understanding of solar system formation. For now, the nebula theory of planet formation is the most popular explanation. That theory holds that all the planets in our solar system were formed from the same material. The natural elements present on the planets today were present in that solar nebula. Our sun and the Jovian planets consist mainly of hydrogen and helium, while the inner rocky planet consists mainly of silicon, iron and copper. All planets in our system are spherical. Yet the poles on terrestrial planets are less flat. Terrestrial planets spin slower and this affects their overall shape.

Most of the planets in our solar system have a nearly circular orbit around our sun. The astronomer Johannes Kepler discovered that the orbits are actually ellipses. The only planet that has a different orbit is Mercury. A planet’s orbit is described by referring to earth’s orbital angle. Mercury’s orbit is inclined by 7 degrees to Earth’s orbital plane, while Jupiter’s is just over 1 degree. Thus, there are similarities between terrestrial and Jovian planets when you describe their orbits around our sun.

The planets in our solar system have similar interiors composed of a core and a mantle. Terrestrial planets also have a crust or a solid outer shell. The core of terrestrial planets consists mainly of iron, wrapped in a silicate mantle. Computer models suggest that Jovian planets have a core consisting of rock, metal and hydrogen. A gaseous atmosphere surrounds both types of planets. Jovian planets may consist of a gaseous "surface," but they still have separate atmospheres with cloud layers.

Terrestrial and Jovian planets have weather. Photos of all the planets in our system show bands and spots indicating weather activity. That means storms and winds influence the conditions on the planets. Storms on Jovian planets are intense and can affect the clouds that surround the planets, which can be seen from Earth-based telescopes. Jovian planets have several layers of clouds of varying colors, with the top layers consisting of red clouds and the bottom of blue clouds. Intense storms move the layers of clouds around and the color of the area changes. Jupiter has a storm area that is the size of two Earths. NASA says the storms on Jupiter are so powerful that they drag material from beneath Jupiter's cloudtops and lift it to different cloud layers. Terrestrial planets also have clouds, but the effects of weather are less severe. A strong magnetic field is common on the Jovian planets, and several terrestrial planets have magnetic fields. Earth's magnetic field helps create the planet's auroras by deflecting the charged particles of the "solar wind."

Terrestrial Planets: Coming from the Latin word "terra", meaning "land," the terrestrial planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.

All the terrestrial planets are closer to the sun then the jovial planets, and the terrestrial planets are also all smaller. In addition, terrestrial planets rotate slower, lack rings and have less moons. The main atmosphere of terrestrial planets is a gaseous mix of carbon dioxide and nitrogen gases, and all terrestrial planets have rocky surfaces. The cores of of terrestrial planets are mainly dense iron with silicate, and although jovian planets have denser cores, terrestrial planets overall are more dense.

Jovian Planets: The jovian planets, so named because of their resemblance to Jupiter, are composed of the rest of the planets in the solar system (except Pluto), so Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus.

They are opposite to terrestrial planets in many ways. Jovian planets are larger, further from the sun, rotate faster, have more moons, have more rings, are less dense overall and have denser cores than terrestrial planets. Jovian planets also have gaseous atmospheres, with the main gases being hydrogen and helium. Jovian planet cores are also expected to consist of rock, metal and hydrogen.

I hope I helped!

https://amazing-space.stsci.edu/uploads/pdf/name/19/lp_jovian_planets.pdf

http://www.differencebetween.net/science/difference-between-terrestrial-and-jovian-planets/

https://sciencing.com/similarities-between-terrestrial-jovian-planets-8574781.html

The planets in the solar system are divided into terrestrial and jovian planets. They are different in their position, composition and other features.

First of all, let us see what are the jovian and the terrestrial planets. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are the jovian planets. Mercury, Venus and Earth are the terrestrial planets.

One of the main differences that can be seen between terrestrial and jovian planets, is their surfaces. While the terrestrial planets are made of solid surfaces, the jovian planets are made of gaseous surfaces.

Well, the jovian planets are less dense when compared to the terrestrial planets, because they are mainly composed of hydrogen gas. Moreover, the core of the jovian planets is more dense than the terrestrial planets.

When talking of the distance from the sun, the terrestrial planets are closer to the sun and the jovian planets are farther. When considering the size, the jovian planets are much larger than the terrestrial planets. While the atmosphere of terrestrial planets is composed mainly of carbon dioxide and nitrogen gases, hydrogen and helium gases are found in abundance in the atmosphere of jovian planets.

Comparing the moons, the jovian planets have more moons than the terrestrial planets. Moreover, the jovian planets tend to have rings around them, which are not seen in terrestrial planets.

While the terrestrial planets spin less, the jovian planets spin more, and due to this fact, the terrestrial planets tend to be less flattened at the poles.

The terrestrial planets were much hotter when they were formed, and they cooled with time. The terrestrial planets were hit by meteorites during the early times, which made them so hot. This is why Earth and Venus have very hot interiors when compared to other planets.

Summary

1. While the terrestrial planets are made of solid surfaces, the jovian planets are made of gaseous surfaces.

2. When comparing the size, the jovian planets are much larger than the terrestrial planets.

3. While the atmosphere of terrestrial planets is composed mainly of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen and helium are found in abundance in the atmosphere of jovian planets.

4. The core of the jovian planets is more dense than the terrestrial planets.

5. The jovian planets are far away from the sun.

6. The terrestrial planets spin less, and are therefore less flattened at the poles.

7. The jovian planets have more moons when compared to terrestrial ones.

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