Learn about the Outer Planets — Passage and Quiz

Let's take a journey to the outer reaches of our solar system and explore the outer planets. These giant worlds are very different from the inner rocky planets we just learned about. The outer planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. They're also known as the gas giants because they're made mostly of gases like hydrogen and helium.

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. It's so big that more than 1,300 Earths could fit inside it! Jupiter has a famous feature called the Great Red Spot, which is actually a huge storm that has been raging for hundreds of years. Saturn is the second-largest planet and is famous for its beautiful rings. These rings are made of ice, dust, and rocks.

Uranus and Neptune are often called the ice giants. They're made of different materials than Jupiter and Saturn, including water, ammonia, and methane ice. Uranus is unique because it rotates on its side, almost like it's rolling around the Sun. Neptune is the windiest planet, with storms that can reach speeds faster than the speed of sound!

All of the outer planets have many moons. Jupiter and Saturn each have dozens of moons, while Uranus and Neptune have fewer. Some of these moons are very interesting. For example, Jupiter's moon Europa might have an ocean under its icy surface, and Saturn's moon Titan has lakes of liquid methane on its surface.

The outer planets formed far from the Sun where it was cold enough for gases to condense and form these giant worlds. They don't have solid surfaces like the inner planets. If you tried to land on one, you'd just sink into the gases!

Scientists study the outer planets using powerful telescopes and spacecraft. We've learned a lot about these distant worlds, but there's still so much more to discover. The outer planets show us how diverse and amazing our solar system really is!