Giants

== Disambiguation and terminology ==
Giants are planets whose mass significantly exceeds the mass of average terrestrial planets.
Originally the term "gas giants" was used for all giant planets indiscriminately but later on scientists realized that there are planets radically different in their composition from the "typical" gas giants.
Today giant planets that are composed mainly of hydrogen and helium are referred to as gas giants, while the (often less massive) giant planets composed of heavier elements are categorized as ice giants. Both terms are potentially misleading, as inside these planets for the most part matter can be described neither as gaseous nor as solid. They have caught on because planetary scientists typically use "rock", "gas", and "ice" as shorthands for classes of elements and compounds commonly found as planetary constituents, irrespective of what phase the matter may appear in.
To read more about these planetary types you might want to visit the articles about gas giants and ice giants.
Category:Planet Types