From the July 2008 issue

How do planets, moons, and asteroids become round?

Sandra Lind, Fairview, New Jersey
By | Published: July 3, 2008 | Last updated on May 18, 2023

A body’s gravity pulls all of its material toward its center of mass. The more massive the body, the rounder its shape. This means that giant gas planets like Jupiter and Saturn will tend to form into spherical shapes.