Question: When do celestial bodies form a molten core?

Stars gradually develop an iron core toward the end of their life.


Why do you ask?

Oh... about a hundred dollars.

I'm more referring to planets and not stars. So what comes first, the molten rock or the iron or dense element core?

From what I understand planets start with a molten core and cool down from there and the only reason our core hasn't cooled is because our solid iron core itself is spinning which also creates our magnetosphere.

The cores of the other planets in our solar system cooled a long time ago which is why our planet it the only planet in our solar system that is still volcanic.

It's a black hole.

Well, that explains Olympus Mons then. Thanks!

I don't think Olympus Mons is currently active is it?

But I do know there are some active volcanoes on some of Jupitors moons like Io.

It can be both...and if enough friction and pressure is/are reached with a high enough mass you get a molten core
...but radioactive elements also heat the core in constant reactions.
If you have enough mass on a HUGE scale...you get a sun that ignites....but that takes UBER UBER mass to accomplish.
Jupiter, basically, is a failed sun....very high mass and density but not enough to create a star.

Last Edited by Useless Cookie Eater on 03/12/2015 07:52 PM