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( Planetary core)
The planetary core consists of the innermost layer(s) of a planet. The cores of terrestrial planets tend to be mainly composed of iron and can include a solid and/or a liquid layer. Earth's core is partially liquid, whilst the cores of Mars and Venus are thought to be completely solid, due to their lack of an internally generated magnetic field.[1] In our solar system, core size can range from about 20% (the Moon) to 75% of a planet's radius (Mercury). It is thought that some gas giants orbiting very close to their primaries may have their atmospheres stripped away, leaving only their core behind. This as-yet hypothetical class of planets are called "Chthonian." Some moons, asteroids and other minor planets may also have well-differentiated cores depending on their size and history. Jupiter's moons Io and Europa are in many ways sisters of the terrestrial planets and have very substantial cores comprising about a third of their radii. The large asteroid 4 Vesta is likewise believed to have a differentiated structure with a distinct core.
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