jovian planet

views updated May 08 2018

jovian planet (outer planet) A general term used to refer to the four outer, giant, gaseous planets of the solar systemJupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune; it contrasts them to the small, rocky, inner or terrestrial planetsMercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.

jovian

views updated May 08 2018

jovian Adjective derived from Jupiter and used in descriptions of the planet. In planetary geology it is not usual to spell the adjective with an initial capital letter.

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