= Planetary science
{wiki}
<Planetary science> explains the formation, structure and evolution of <planets>, their <natural satellites> and smaller bodies by connecting observations with physical and chemical models. A body's <mass> and <radius> constrain its mean <density>, but several mixtures and interior structures can fit the same pair of measurements.
<Spectroscopy> probes accessible surface or atmospheric composition, <gravity> measurements constrain internal mass distribution, and <seismic waves> probe elastic layers. Comparing these independent observations tests models of differentiation, cooling, <planet formation> and atmospheric evolution. Nearby Solar-system bodies also provide resolved examples for interpreting the limited signals available from an <exoplanet>.
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