Beyond Mars, the solar system becomes a different place altogether. The planets are no longer small rocky worlds, they become ice giants that would dwarf the Earth. Out here, the solar system is so cold that hydrogen and hydrogen rich gases could be captured in the planet making process. Because there was so much of this type of this building material available, the planets formed on a grand scale of size.
Jupiter contains over
70 percent of the total planetary mass. This planet is truly the lord of
the solar system. It is not just the largest planet, it has a diameter
over 11 times the diameter of the Earth, and is over 320 times more massive.
Jupiter is a ringed world, surrounded by many moons, some of which are
the most interesting objects in the solar system.