To: SunkenCiv
You know, given the temperatures indicated this "gas giant" might have a solid core (pure speculation). The reason could be simple, it'd need a strong gravity well deep down to prevent the upper atmosphere from expanding and boiling off as it passes through the day side. Also, I'd suspect that thermal expansion would give the planet an irregular shape anyway ... or at least stir up / even out the atmosphere as cooling gasses "fall" back to lower altitudes.
8 posted on
10/13/2006 12:08:34 PM PDT by
Rurudyne
(Standup Philosopher)
To: Rurudyne
You know, given the temperatures indicated this "gas giant" might have a solid core (pure speculation). The reason could be simple, it'd need a strong gravity well deep down to prevent the upper atmosphere from expanding and boiling off as it passes through the day side. Also, I'd suspect that thermal expansion would give the planet an irregular shape anyway ... or at least stir up / even out the atmosphere as cooling gasses "fall" back to lower altitudes.
Great observations. Our own gas giants are believed to have solid cores of some size or other.
9 posted on
10/13/2006 10:04:00 PM PDT by
SunkenCiv
(North Korea is a rogue and illegal regime. https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson