From the April 2011 issue

How do scientists identify planetary compositions and temperatures (both internal and external)?

Étienne-Julien Binette, St-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada
By | Published: April 25, 2011 | Last updated on May 18, 2023

Jupiter
Jupiter. NASA/Reta Beebe, and Amy Simon (New Mexico State University)

Determining compositions and temperatures of planets and satellites involves several disciplines, from spectroscopy to seismology.