GAS GIANT

GAS GIANT
   Item of sf TERMINOLOGY invented by James BLISH; it proved so useful that it is now often used by astronomers. It refers to the fact that four of the planets of our Solar System are not comparatively small and dense, like Earth and MARS, but extremely large, and consist mainly of substances like hydrogen, helium, methane and ammonia. Even in the cold at the outer edge of our Solar System, these planets are of low density, being essentially globes of gas and liquid. The four gas giants - often called the Jovian Planets - in our Solar System are JUPITER, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune (OUTER PLANETS). The fact that there are two kinds of planet inthe Solar System is of great interest to scientists constructing theories of its evolution; it is believed that gas-giant planets have been detected orbiting a few nearby stars.
   PN

Science Fiction and Fantasy Encyclopedia. . 2011.

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