Ask A Scientist© Astronomy Archive

 
>
> > >  name       Dane
> > >  status     student
> > >  age        13
>
> > >  Question - I am interested in science-fiction, and am "designing" some
> > > planets of my own for a story I am creating, and I was wondering: Does a
> > > "gas" planet (such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, etc.) automatically have
> > > an atmosphere, due to the obvious fact that the majority (or 
> entirity) of
> > > the planet is composed of gases (which are probably being given off of
> > > the planet), or is it possible to have a gas planet without an 
> atmosphere?
>
>A gas planet has an atmosphere unless it's so cold that all the gas is in
>a liquid or frozen state. It's hard to imagine a planet that cold.
>
>Tim Mooney

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