5. READ: Outer Planets' Atmospheres

jupiter
Jupiter and Ganymede. Photo provided by NASA.

The atmosphere of the outer planets tend to be colder than the inner planets. The following is some more information on each of the outer planets.

Jupiter
Since Jupiter is a gas giant, almost all of its matter is gas. More specifically, Jupiter's clouds are made of ammonia. Strong winds cause the stripes that stretch across the planet. The Great Red Spot is actually a giant storm that is larger than Earth itself.

Saturn
Saturn's atmosphere is mostly made up hydrogen and helium. The temperature is very low: around -170 degrees Celsius. Like Jupiter, Saturn has very strong winds (up to 500 feet per second).

Uranus
Uranus's atmosphere is mostly made up of hydrogen and helium. The atmosphere also contains methane and small amounts of water and ammonia. The blue-green color of Uranus comes from the methane gas.

Neptune
Neptune's atmosphere also has methane. However, Neptune is a darker than Uranus and scientists are not sure why. The atmosphere goes very deep and doesn't end sharply like Earth's. Instead, it gradually mixes with water and ice-like matter until it reaches the solid core.


Sources
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Jupiter&Display=OverviewLong (Public domain)
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Saturn&Display=OverviewLong (Public domain)
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Uranus&Display=OverviewLong (Public domain.)
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Neptune&Display=OverviewLong (Public domain.)