Outer planets Outer planets The outer planets are those planets in the Solar System beyond the asteroid belt, and hence refers to the gas giants and ice giants, which are in order of their distance from the Sun: The outer planets all have ring systems, although all but Saturn's are faint when viewed from Earth. Another aspect common to the gas giants is their many natural satellites (moons), two of which are larger than the planet Mercury (Jupiter's Ganymede and Saturn's Titan). That pair and Io, Callisto, Europa, and Triton, are larger than Pluto and Eris. This region of space is also
The Science of Aliens possibilities for alien life. The second section explores the variety of life on Earth and the extreme conditions in which it can survive. It looks at recent missions to moons and planets in the Solar System and what they can tell us about alien life before going on to examine some extra-solar planets. The next section presents two fictional planets, Aurelia and Blue Moon and their ecosystems as imagined by scientists. These are used to explore the factors and parameters governing life on other planets and are presented as two large interactive landscapes. The exhibition concludes by looking at the