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WHAT MAKES A PLANET? 
You can learn more about planets in the Solar System section but lets
give a quick overview that a planet is made up of heavy elements. Stars
are mainly made up of Hydrogen and Helium. Planets generally have all
of the other elements in their crust and core. You will find large amounts
of Iron and minerals. Aslo, planets do not have the nuclear reactions
igniting their atmosphere. THINK ABOUT THE EARTH When you think about the characteristics that make a planet a planet, think about the Earth. We have an atmosphere that is not on fire. The Earth is basically a large rock. We have a core of molten iron and plates of rock floating on the surface of the planet. Also, most of our mass and diameter are because of the planet, not the atmosphere. Mars and Venus are the same way. But what about Jupiter, what makes it a planet? It has huge atmosphere compared to the size of the planet. Remember, that there are no nuclear reactions in the atmosphere of the planet. Therefore Jupiter is a planet. If you go deep enough, you will find the rock that exists in the center of that huge, gaseous atmosphere. ABOUT THE PICTURE The Earth is probably the only planet most of us will ever stand on. |