What are the characteristics of inner planets? What are the characteristics of outer planets? How do they differ?

Answer 1

The inner planets, also known as terrestrial planets, include Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. These planets share several common characteristics:

1. Size: Inner planets are relatively smaller in size compared to the outer planets.

2. Composition: They are predominantly composed of rocky material, with a solid surface.

3. Density: Inner planets have higher densities due to their rocky composition.

4. Distance from the Sun: They are located closer to the Sun than the outer planets.

5. Orbits: Inner planets have shorter orbits, meaning they complete revolutions around the Sun in a relatively shorter time frame.

6. Atmosphere: They generally have thin or negligible atmospheres compared to the outer planets.

On the other hand, the outer planets, also called gas giants or Jovian planets, consist of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. They possess the following characteristics:

1. Size: The outer planets are significantly larger in size compared to the inner planets, often known as "gas giants" due to their vast gaseous envelopes.

2. Composition: They are predominantly composed of hydrogen and helium, with a small rocky or metallic core.

3. Density: Outer planets have lower densities compared to the inner planets due to their gaseous composition.

4. Distance from the Sun: They are located farther from the Sun compared to the inner planets.

5. Orbits: Outer planets have longer orbital periods and take a significantly longer time to complete one revolution around the Sun.

6. Atmosphere: They have thick and complex atmospheres that consist of various gases, including hydrogen, helium, methane, and ammonia.

In essence, the main differences between inner and outer planets lie in their size, composition, density, distance from the Sun, orbital periods, and atmospheric characteristics.