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To: BGHater
If I recall correctly, Mercury also has a magnetic field and not a heck of a lot of oceans.

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune all have magnetic fields too, but are all gas giants and not really comparable.

18 posted on 06/16/2009 12:13:01 PM PDT by kennedy (I'm a Kennedy with no experience or qualifications too! Where do I sign up for MY Senate seat?)
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To: kennedy

The magnetic field of Jupiter is largely due to a core of metallic hydrogen, which exists due to the high core pressures at Jupiter’s center. Same would apply for any other gas giant of similar structure. Might also apply for brown dwarves, however there are higher core temperatures due to gravitational contraction (plus any short lived fusion reaction, either involving deuterium and/or lithium). So that further reinforces the molten core of terrestrial planets (Mars may have lost its field due to the core cooling to the point of no longer being liquid).


24 posted on 06/16/2009 3:03:04 PM PDT by Fred Hayek (Minnesota - You all can go to hell. I'm going to Texas.)
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