An iron planet is a type of planet that consists primarily of an iron-rich core with little or no mantle. Mercury is the largest celestial body of this type[citation needed] in the Solar System, but larger iron-rich exoplanets may exist. Also known as a Cannonball.[1]
Origin [edit]
Iron-rich planets may be the remnants of normal metal/silicate rocky planets whose rocky mantles were stripped away by giant impacts. Some are believed to consist of diamond fields. Current planet formation models predict iron-rich planets will form in close-in orbits or orbiting massive stars where the protoplanetary disk presumably consists of iron-rich material.[2]
Characteristics [edit]
Iron-rich planets are smaller and more dense than other types of planets of comparable mass.[3] Such planets would have no plate tectonics or strong magnetic field as they cool rapidly after formation.[2]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
