Giant planet: Difference between revisions

 

== Extrasolar gas giants ==

 

Because of the limited [[Methods of detecting extrasolar planets|techniques currently available]] to detect [[extrasolar planet]]s, many of those found to date have been of a size associated, in our solar system, with gas giants. Because these large planets are inferred to share more in common with Jupiter than with the other gas giant planets some have claimed that "Jovian planet" is a more accurate term for them. Many of the extrasolar planets are much closer to their parent stars and hence much hotter than gas giants in the solar system, making it possible that some of those planets are a type not observed in our solar system. Considering the relative [[abundance of the chemical elements|abundances of the elements in the universe]] (approximately 98% hydrogen and helium) it would be surprising to find a predominantly rocky planet more massive than Jupiter. On the other hand previous models of planetary system formation suggested that gas giants would be inhibited from forming as close to their stars as have many of the new planets that have been observed.