http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/wwtweb/thumbnail.aspx?name=SolarSystemThe Gas Giantshttp://www.worldwidetelescope.org/wwtweb/thumbnail.aspx?name=SolarSystemLike all the planets in the solar system, the gas giants follow Kepler's laws.
{$DATE}Clock in years and days:http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/wwtweb/thumbnail.aspx?name=SolarSystemThis means that is takes them decades to complete one orbit...{$DATE}Saturn's orbital period is 29 years.http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/wwtweb/thumbnail.aspx?name=SolarSystemhttp://www.worldwidetelescope.org/wwtweb/thumbnail.aspx?name=SolarSystem{$TIME}Compared to the Earth the gas giants rotate much faster...Clock in hours:http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/wwtweb/thumbnail.aspx?name=SolarSystem{$TIME}http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/wwtweb/thumbnail.aspx?name=SolarSystem{$TIME}They rotate so fast that Saturn and Jupiter are "oblate":
wider around the equator than from pole to pole.Their equatorial radius is 10% larger than their polar radius.
(For Earth the difference is less than 1%).http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/wwtweb/thumbnail.aspx?name=SolarSystem{$TIME}The Jupiter day is only 9 hrs 55 minutes.http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/wwtweb/thumbnail.aspx?name=SolarSystem{$TIME}http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/wwtweb/thumbnail.aspx?name=SolarSystemThe Saturn day is 10 hrs 34 minutes.{$TIME}http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/wwtweb/thumbnail.aspx?name=SolarSystem{$TIME}This also leads to a strong coriolis effect...
and strong storms....Wind speeds can exceed 500 km/hr (300 miles/hr).http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/wwtweb/thumbnail.aspx?name=SolarSystemAll the gas giants also have orbiting small bodies (ring systems).
Although Saturn's rings are the most visable.PNG
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