Chapter 4 of 12All chapters
Chapter 4 of 12
The giant planets
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
Gas and ice
Jupiter and Saturn are gas giants of hydrogen and helium. Uranus and Neptune are ice giants with more water, ammonia and methane, which is where their colour comes from.
- Jupiter holds more than twice the mass of every other planet combined.
- Saturn is less dense than water, though there is no bath large enough to prove it.
The rings
Saturn's rings are countless particles of ice and rock, from grains to pieces the size of a house. All four giants have rings; the others are just too faint to see easily.