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<h1 font size = 17 align = center><u><b>OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM</b></u></h1>
<p>
The outer region of the Solar System is home to the giant planets and their large
moons. The centaurs and many short-period comets also orbit in this region. Due to
their greater distance from the Sun, the solid objects in the outer Solar System
contain a higher proportion of volatiles, such as water, ammonia, and methane than
those of the inner Solar System because the lower temperatures allow these
compounds to remain solid, without significant rates of sublimation.</p>
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<h3 font size = 15><u><b>OUTER PLANETS</b></u></h3>
<p>The four outer planets, also called giant planets or Jovian planets,
collectively make up 99% of the mass known to orbit the Sun. Jupiter and Saturn are
together more than 400 times the mass of Earth and consist overwhelmingly of the
gases hydrogen and helium, hence their designation as gas giants. Uranus and
Neptune are far less massive—less than 20 Earth masses (MEarth) each—and are
composed primarily of ice.</p>
<h3 font size = 15><u><b>JUPITER</b></u></h3>
<p>
Jupiter (4.951–5.457 AU (740.7–816.4 million km; 460.2–507.3 million mi) from the
Sun), at 318 MEarth, is 2.5 times the mass of all the other planets put together.
It is composed largely of hydrogen and helium. Jupiter's strong internal heat
creates semi-permanent features in its atmosphere, such as cloud bands and the
Great Red Spot. The planet possesses a 4.2–14 Gauss strength magnetosphere that
spans 22–29 million km, making it, in certain respects, the largest object in the
Solar System. Jupiter has 95 known satellites. Ganymede, the largest satellite in
the Solar System, is larger than Mercury; Callisto is almost as large.</p>
<h3 font size = 15 ><u><b>SATURN</b></u></h3>
<p>
Saturn (9.075–10.07 AU (1.3576–1.5065 billion km; 843.6–936.1 million mi) from the
Sun), distinguished by its extensive ring system, has several similarities to
Jupiter, such as its atmospheric composition and magnetosphere. Although Saturn has
60% of Jupiter's volume, it is less than a third as massive, at 95 MEarth. Saturn
is the only planet of the Solar System that is less dense than water. The rings of
Saturn are made up of small ice and rock particles. Saturn has 145 confirmed
satellites composed largely of ice. Two of these, Titan and Enceladus, show signs
of geological activity; they, as well as five other Saturnian moons (Iapetus, Rhea,
Dione, Tethys, and Mimas), are large enough to be round.</p>
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<h3 font size = 15><u><b>URANUS</b></u></h3>
<p>
Uranus (18.27–20.06 AU (2.733–3.001 billion km; 1.698–1.865 billion mi) from the
Sun), at 14 MEarth, has the lowest mass of the outer planets. Uniquely among the
planets, it orbits the Sun on its side; its axial tilt is over ninety degrees to
the ecliptic. This gives the planet extreme seasonal variation as each pole points
toward and then away from the Sun. It has a much colder core than the other giant
planets and radiates very little heat into space. As a consequence, it has the
coldest planetary atmosphere in the Solar System. Uranus has 27 known satellites,
the largest ones being Titania, Oberon, Umbriel, Ariel, and Miranda. Like the other
giant planets, it possesses a ring system and magnetosphere.</p>
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<h3 font size = 15><b><u>NEPTUNE</u></b></h3>
<p>Neptune (29.89–30.47 AU (4.471–4.558 billion km; 2.778–2.832 billion mi) from
the Sun), though slightly smaller than Uranus, is more massive (17 MEarth) and
hence more dense. It radiates more internal heat than Uranus, but not as much as
Jupiter or Saturn. Neptune has 14 known satellites. The largest, Triton, is
geologically active, with geysers of liquid nitrogen. Triton is the only large
satellite with a retrograde orbit, which indicates that it did not form with
Neptune, but was probably captured from the Kuiper belt. Neptune is accompanied in
its orbit by several minor planets, termed Neptune trojans, that either lead or
trail the planet by about one-sixth of the way around the Sun, positions known as
Lagrange points.</p>
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