The gas giant is the fifth planet of the solar system, if counted from the star. Jupiter's mass makes it the largest object orbiting our star.
This celestial body is the so-called giant. It contains more than 2/3 of the planetary matter of our entire system. Jupiter's mass is 318 times greater than that of Earth. The volume is 1300 times greater than ours. Even the part of it that can be seen from Earth is 120 times larger than the area of our blue “baby”. A gas giant is a hydrogen ball with a chemical composition very close to a star.
Jupiter
The mass of Jupiter (in kg) is so huge that it is simply impossible to imagine. It is expressed this way: 1.8986x10 to the 27th power kg. This planet is so large that it far exceeds the mass of all other bodies combined (excluding the Sun) in our star system.
Structure
The structure of the planet is multilayered, but it is difficult to talk about specific parameters. There is only one possible model that can be discussed. The atmosphere of the planet is considered to be a layer starting from the top of the cloudy layer and extending to a depth of about 1000 kilometers. At the lower edge of the atmospheric layer the pressure is up to 150 thousand atmospheres. The temperature of the planet at this boundary is about 2000 K.
Below this region there is a gas-liquid layer of hydrogen. This formation is characterized by the transition of a gaseous substance into a liquid as it deepens. Science currently cannot describe this process from a physics point of view. It is known that at temperatures above 33 K, hydrogen exists only in the form of a gas. However, Jupiter completely destroys this axiom.
In the lower part of the hydrogen layer, the pressure is 700,000 atmospheres, and the temperature increases to 6500 K. Below is an ocean of liquid hydrogen without the slightest gas particles. Under this layer there is ionized hydrogen that has disintegrated into atoms. This is the reason for the planet's strong magnetic field.
The mass of Jupiter is known, but it is difficult to say for sure about the mass of its core. Scientists believe that it may be 5 or 15 times larger than Earth’s. It has a temperature of 25,000-30,000 degrees at a pressure of 70 million atmospheres.
Atmosphere
The red hue of some of the planet's clouds indicates that Jupiter contains not only hydrogen, but also complex compounds. The planet's atmosphere contains methane, ammonia and even particles of water vapor. In addition, traces of ethane, phosphine, carbon monoxide, propane, and acetylene were detected. Of these substances, it is difficult to single out one, which is the reason for the original color of the clouds. These could equally likely be compounds of sulfur, organic substances or phosphorus.
Lighter and darker stripes located parallel to the planet’s equator are multidirectional atmospheric currents. Their speed can reach up to 100 meters per second. The current boundary is rich in huge eddies. The most impressive of them is the Great Red Spot. This vortex has been raging for more than 300 years and has dimensions of 15x30 thousand km. The timing of the hurricane is unknown. It is believed that it has been rampant for thousands of years. A hurricane completes a full revolution around its axis in a week. The atmosphere of Jupiter is rich in similar vortices, which, however, are much smaller in size and live no longer than two years.
Ring
Jupiter is a planet whose mass is much greater than that of Earth. In addition, it is full of surprises and unique phenomena. So, there are radio noises and dust storms. The smallest particles that have received an electrical charge from the solar wind have interesting dynamics: being an average between micro- and macro-bodies, they react almost equally to the electromagnetic and The ring surrounding the planet consists of these particles. It was opened in 1979. The radius of the main part is 129 thousand km. The ring is only 30 km wide. In addition, its structure is very rarefied, so it can reflect only thousandths of a percent of the light that falls on it. There is no way to observe the ring from Earth - it is so thin. In addition, it is always turned with a thin edge towards our planet due to the slight inclination of the axis of rotation of the giant planet to the orbital plane.
A magnetic field
The mass and radius of Jupiter, coupled with its chemical composition, allow the planet to have a gigantic magnetic field. Its intensity greatly exceeds that of the earth. The magnetosphere extends far into space, over a distance of about 650 million km, even beyond the orbit of Saturn. However, towards the Sun this distance is 40 times less. Thus, even at such enormous distances, the Sun does not allow its planets to descend. This “behavior” of the magnetosphere makes it completely different from a sphere.
Will he become a star?
Strange as it may seem to assume this, it may still happen that Jupiter becomes a star. One of the scientists put forward such a hypothesis, coming to the conclusion that this giant has a source of nuclear energy.
At the same time, we know very well that no planet, in principle, can have its own source. Although they are visible in the sky, this is due to reflected sunlight. Whereas Jupiter emits much more energy than the Sun brings to it.
Some scientists believe that in about 3 billion years, Jupiter will have the same mass as the sun. And then a global cataclysm will occur: the solar system in the form in which it is known today will cease to exist.
1. Jupiter is the fifth planet from our Sun and is located between Mars and Saturn. If you think that the Earth is big, then it is simply nothing compared to Jupiter, which is the largest planet in our solar system. If we talk about volume, then 1300 planets like Earth will fit into Jupiter. The gravity on this “giant” is 2.5 times greater than on Earth. If someone weighing 100 kg stood on the surface of Jupiter, he would weigh 250 kg there. The mass of Jupiter is 317 times the mass of the Earth, and also 2.5 times the mass of all other planets in the solar system combined.
2. Jupiter was the name of the supreme god in Roman mythology. Jupiter was the son of Saturn, and also the brother of Pluto and Neptune. The Supreme God was married to Juno, but he also had relationships with other women with whom he had children. The 4 largest moons of Jupiter (Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto) are named after one of the lovers of the god Jupiter.
3. These were Pioneer 10, Pioneer 11, Voyager 1, Voyager 2, Galileo, Ulysses, Cassini and New Horizons. The first spacecraft to visit Jupiter was Pioneer 10. Among the most recent studies, the Juno probe should be highlighted, launched in 2011, it is expected that it will reach Jupiter in 2016.
4. When looking at the night sky, the planet Jupiter is the third brightest object. The brightest objects in our solar system are Venus and the Moon. However, Jupiter shines even brighter than the brightest star in the sky - Sirius. With good binoculars or a small telescope, you can see the white disk of Jupiter, as well as its 4 bright satellites.
5. Jupiter has the strongest magnetic field in our solar system. It is 14 times larger than on Earth. Some astronomers believe that such a field is created by the movement of metallic hydrogen inside the planet. Jupiter is a strong radio source, which can severely damage any spacecraft that flies too close to the “Giant Planet.”
6. Despite its mass, Jupiter is the fastest planet in the solar system. It takes 10 hours for the planet to rotate completely. However, in order to completely circle the Sun, Jupiter takes 12 years. Jupiter's rapid rotation is due to the magnetic field as well as radiation around the planet.
7. Jupiter has 4 rings. The most important of them is left after the collision of meteorites with 4 satellites (Thebe, Metis, Adrastea and Almathea). Unlike the rings of Saturn, no ice has been found in the rings of Jupiter. Recently, scientists discovered another ring, located closest to the planet. They named him Galo.
8. Storms on Jupiter and Earth are somewhat similar. On Jupiter, storms usually don't last long, about 3-4 days. However, there are exceptions - months. Hurricanes on Jupiter are always accompanied by lightning and are much stronger than storms on Earth. Severe hurricanes occur every 15–17 years, with speeds of 150 m/s.
9. Jupiter has 63 satellites. 4 massive moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto), called the “Galilean” moons, were discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei. Ganymede is the largest moon, measuring 5,262 km from end to end, making it larger than the planet Mercury. This icy satellite orbits Jupiter in 7 days. Another interesting moon is Io, which is home to ferocious volcanoes, lava lakes and huge calderas. The mountains on Io reach 16 km. This satellite is closer to Jupiter than the Moon is to us. Interesting fact: most of Jupiter's moons are no more than 10 km in diameter.
10. In 1665, astronomer Giovanni Cassini was the first to discover the Great Red Spot on Jupiter. The spot looks like a giant anticyclone hurricane and a century ago was 40,000 km long. However, its size has now been reduced by half. The Great Red Spot on the planet Jupiter is the largest atmospheric vortex in the solar system. Its length could accommodate 3 Earth-sized planets. It rotates counterclockwise at a speed of about 435 km/h.
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Even without a specialized astronomical instrument, you can understand how many times Jupiter is larger than the Earth. To do this, just look at the images of the celestial giant, which has clearly defined boundaries.
The problem of determining the size of the planet
It is impossible to accurately determine the size of Jupiter, because it is a kind of gas ball. Chemical elements in its atmosphere and on the surface (on the planet it is represented by the Global Ocean) constantly change their state from gaseous to molten.
Behind dense clouds in the upper layers of the atmosphere (they seem to be the visible boundaries of the object), it is impossible to accurately determine the ongoing processes. Therefore, all calculations are based only on research data, and the dimensions of Jupiter are assumed to be equal to the contour of the visible boundary of its clouds.
The dimensions of this celestial body are characterized by radii:
- equatorial, equal to 71492 km;
- polar with a value of 66854 km.
These dimensions are valid for the current position of Jupiter. If it were closer to the Sun, it would have a larger diameter due to the fact that it would be more heated by sunlight and this would cause the gases to expand.
The celestial body is slightly deformed from the poles due to the high speed of its rotation around its axis (a full rotation is completed in just 10 hours). The geometric shape of Jupiter is called an oblate spheroid.
To simplify calculations, scientists considered the gas giant to be a ball with a diameter of almost 140,000 km. The task is made easier by the fact that the surface of the planet does not have mountains and depressions, like space objects made of rocky rocks.
If you line up 11 planet Earths in a row, this will be the approximate diameter of Jupiter. Credit: NASA.
Diameter comparison
On average, the diameter of this celestial body is 139,822 km, which is almost 11 times greater than that of the Earth. The famous hurricane moving around the planet, the BKP, had a length from 24,000 to 40,000 km in different years. Our planet with an average radius of 6371 km would simply drown in this atmospheric formation.
If any of the spacecraft decides to fly around this planet, it will have to cover more than 440,000 km. For comparison, if it flew around the Earth along its equator, it would cover a distance 10 times less.
There is at least 1 object in space that is larger than Jupiter. This is the exoplanet TrES-4, discovered in the mid-2000s, located in the constellation Hercules. It is also a gas giant, and it is 1.8 times larger than our “giant”. But in the solar system, Jupiter is not the largest cosmic body - its radius is 10 times smaller than the Sun.
Volume and area
A comparison of Jupiter and Earth in terms of their volume can be done using a mathematical formula, knowing the diameters of celestial bodies. Calculations show that the gas giant is almost 1300 times larger than our planet.
The formula also calculates the superiority of the gas planet over us in terms of its surface area - it is 122 times larger.
Planetary masses
In terms of mass, the giant planet is 318 times larger than ours. It is 2 times heavier than Pluto, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Mars, Earth, Venus and Mercury in total. Moreover, Jupiter itself is much smaller than the Sun, which weighs approximately 99.86% of the total mass of the entire solar system.
The weight of the giant was calculated theoretically based on the following parameters:
- 89% of the planet is hydrogen;
- 10% - helium content.
Another 1% comes from a mixture of several gases and water vapor, so a certain average value of their mass was used in the calculations.
But there is one physical quantity for which Jupiter has not become an absolute record holder - its density. According to this parameter, it ranks 5th in the Solar System. Despite its apparent massiveness, this planet is relatively “loose” because it consists not of rocks, but of gases.
1. Jupiter has at least 79 moons, the largest of which are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. They were discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610.
2. The equatorial radius of Jupiter is 71.4 thousand kilometers - this is 11.2 times larger than our Earth.
3. The mass of Jupiter is 317.8 times the mass of , and 2.47 times the total mass of all other planets.
4. The distance between Jupiter and Earth varies from 588 to 967 million kilometers.
5. There are no seasons on Jupiter because the planet's axis of rotation is almost perpendicular to its orbit.
6. Jupiter rotates on its axis faster than any other planet in the solar system - the rotation period at the equator is 9 hours 50 minutes 30 seconds.
7. Wind speeds on Jupiter can exceed 600 kilometers per hour. The winds of Jupiter are controlled mainly by its internal heat, and not by solar heat, as on Earth.
8. Europa is of greatest interest among Jupiter's satellites. Its main feature is the presence of water - on top it is completely covered with a thick layer of ice. Studies have shown that the ocean extends 90 kilometers deep, and its volume exceeds that of the earth.
9. Jupiter emits 60% more energy than it receives from. Due to the processes leading to the production of this energy, Jupiter decreases by approximately 2 centimeters per year.
10. Jupiter completes a full revolution around the Sun in 11.86 years.
11. Jupiter's composition is similar to the Sun - 89% of its atmosphere is hydrogen and 11% is helium.
12. At the center of hurricanes on Jupiter, astronomers observe colossal lightning flashes that extend for thousands of kilometers. The power of such lightning is three times higher than on Earth.
13. An interesting feature of Jupiter is the presence of the Great Red Spot. It is a giant hurricane measuring 15×30 thousand kilometers, which is significantly larger than the size of the Earth. The red color of this spot has not yet found a clear explanation. Perhaps this color is given by chemical compounds including phosphorus.
14. Scientists believe that Jupiter has a solid core one and a half times the diameter of Earth, but 10-30 times denser. Even if Jupiter had a solid surface, it would be impossible to stand on it without fear of being crushed by the weight of the underlying atmosphere.
15. The first spacecraft to enter Jupiter orbit was Galileo. The device was launched in 1989, in 1995 it entered Jupiter orbit, operating until 2003. During its operation, Galileo transmitted 14 thousand images of the planet and satellites, as well as unique information about the atmosphere of Jupiter.
16. Saturn isn't the only planet with rings. Jupiter has faint rings, but they are very thin and difficult to see with a regular telescope.
17. As Jupiter's ocean of hydrogen sinks, pressure and temperature rapidly increase. At a distance of 46 thousand kilometers from the center of Jupiter, the temperature reaches 11 thousand degrees. While at the upper level of Jupiter's opaque clouds the temperature is −107 °C.
18. One of Jupiter's moons, Io, is the most geologically active body in the Solar System. It is home to more than 400 active volcanoes. At some volcanoes, the emissions are so strong that they rise to a height of 500 kilometers.
19. The gravity on Jupiter is almost 2.5 times greater than that on Earth: an object weighing 100 kilograms on Earth would weigh 250 kilograms on Jupiter.
20. In the 1970s, American astronomer Carl Sagan, together with E. E. Salpeter, used calculations in chemistry and physics to describe three imaginary forms of life that could hypothetically exist in the upper atmosphere of Jupiter. These are sinkers - tiny organisms; floaters are giant (the size of an earthly city) organisms, and hunters are predators, hunters of floaters.
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun, the largest in the Solar System. The stripes and swirls on its surface represent cold, wind-driven clouds consisting of ammonia and water. The atmosphere is primarily composed of helium and hydrogen, and the famous Great Red Spot is a giant storm larger than Earth that lasts for hundreds of years. Jupiter is surrounded by 53 confirmed moons, as well as 14 temporary ones, for a total of 67. Scientists are most interested in the four largest objects discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei: Europa, Callisto, Ganymede and Io. Jupiter also has three rings, but they are very difficult to see and are not as elegant as Saturn's. The planet is named after the supreme Roman god.
Comparative sizes of the Sun, Jupiter and Earth
The planet is located an average of 778 million km from the star, which is 5.2. At this distance, light takes 43 minutes to reach the gas giant. The size of Jupiter compared to the Sun is so impressive that their barycenter extends beyond the surface of the star by 0.068 of its radius. The planet is much larger than Earth and much less dense. Their volume ratio is 1:1321, and their mass is 1:318. From the center to the surface, the size of Jupiter in km is 69911. This is 11 times wider than our planet. and the Earth can be compared as follows. If our planet were the size of a nickel, then the gas giant would be the size of a basketball. The size of the Sun and Jupiter in diameter are related as 10:1, and the mass of the planet is 0.001 that of the star.
Orbit and rotation
The gas giant has the shortest day in the solar system. Despite the size of Jupiter, a day on the planet lasts about 10 hours. A year, or revolution around the Sun, takes about 12 Earth years. The equator is tilted relative to its orbital path by only 3 degrees. This means that Jupiter rotates almost vertically and does not have the pronounced changes of seasons that occur on ours and other planets.
Formation
The planet formed along with the entire solar system 4.5 billion years ago, when gravity caused it to form from swirling dust and gas. Jupiter's size is due to the fact that it captured most of the mass remaining after the formation of the star. Its volume was twice as large as the rest of the matter in other solar system objects. It is made of the same material as a star, but the size of the planet Jupiter has not grown enough to trigger a thermonuclear reaction. About four billion years ago, the gas giant ended up in its current position in the outer solar system.
Structure
Jupiter's composition is similar to the sun's - mostly helium and hydrogen. Deep in the atmosphere, pressure and temperature rise, compressing hydrogen gas into liquid. Because of this, Jupiter has the largest ocean in the solar system, made of hydrogen instead of water. Scientists believe that at depths perhaps halfway to the center of the planet, the pressure becomes so great that electrons are squeezed out of the hydrogen atoms, turning it into a liquid, electrically conductive metal. The rapid rotation of the gas giant causes electric currents in it, generating a strong magnetic field. It is still unknown whether the planet has a central core of solid material, or whether it is a thick, super-hot soup of iron and silicate minerals (like quartz) with temperatures up to 50,000 °C.
Surface
As a gas giant, Jupiter has no true surface. The planet consists mainly of rotating gases and liquids. Since the spacecraft will not be able to land on Jupiter, it will not be able to fly away unscathed. The extreme pressures and temperatures deep inside the planet will crush, melt and vaporize any ship that tries to reach it.
Atmosphere
Jupiter appears as a colorful tapestry of cloud streaks and spots. The gas planet likely has three separate cloud layers in its "sky" that together cover about 71 km. The top one consists of ammonia ice. The middle layer is most likely formed by crystals of ammonium hydrosulfide, and the inner layer is formed by water ice and steam. The bright colors of the thick streaks on Jupiter may be emissions of sulfur and phosphorus-containing gases rising from its interior. The planet's rapid rotation creates strong vortex flows, dividing the clouds into long dark belts and light zones.
The lack of a solid surface to slow them down allows Jupiter's spots to persist for many years. The planet is covered by more than a dozen prevailing winds, some reaching speeds of 539 km/h at the equator. The size of the Red Spot on Jupiter is twice as wide as the Earth. The formation of a twisted oval shape has been observed on the giant planet for more than 300 years. More recently, three small ovals formed a small Red Spot, about half the size of its larger cousin. Scientists do not yet know whether these ovals and stripes encircling the planet are shallow or extend far into the depths.
Potential for life
Jupiter's environment is probably not conducive to life as we know it. The temperatures, pressures and substances that characterize this planet are likely too extreme and lethal for living organisms. While Jupiter is an unlikely place for living things, the same cannot be said for some of its many moons. Europa is one of the most likely places to search for life in our solar system. There is evidence of a huge ocean beneath the icy crust that could support life.
Satellites
Many small ones and four large ones form the Solar System in miniature. The planet has 53 confirmed satellites, as well as 14 temporary ones, for a total of 67. These newly discovered satellites have been reported by astronomers and given a temporary designation by the International Astronomical Union. Once their orbits are confirmed, they will be included in the permanent ones.
The four largest moons - Europa, Io, Callisto and Ganymede - were first discovered in 1610 by astronomer Galileo Galilei using an early version of a telescope. These four moons represent one of the most exciting areas of research today. Io is the most volcanically active body in the Solar System. Ganymede is the largest of them (even larger than the planet Mercury). Jupiter's second largest moon, Callisto, has few small craters, indicating little current surface activity. An ocean of liquid water with the ingredients for life may lie beneath Europa's icy crust, making it a tempting target for study.
Rings
Discovered in 1979 by NASA's Voyager 1, Jupiter's rings were a surprise because they were made up of small, dark particles that can only be seen against the sun. Data from the Galileo spacecraft suggest that the ring system may be formed by dust from interplanetary meteoroids that crashed into small inner satellites.
Magnetosphere
The magnetosphere of a gas giant is a region of space influenced by the planet's powerful magnetic field. It extends 1-3 million km towards the Sun, which is 7-21 times the size of Jupiter, and tapers into a tadpole-shaped tail at 1 billion km, reaching the orbit of Saturn. The huge magnetic field is 16-54 times more powerful than the earth's. It rotates with the planet and captures particles that have an electrical charge. Near Jupiter, it captures swarms of charged particles and accelerates them to very high energies, creating intense radiation that bombards nearby moons and can damage spacecraft. The magnetic field produces some of the most impressive in the solar system at the planet's poles.
Study
Although Jupiter has been known since ancient times, the first detailed observations of this planet were made by Galileo Galilei in 1610 using a primitive telescope. And only recently it was visited by spaceships, satellites and probes. The 10th and 11th Pioneers, 1st and 2nd Voyagers were the first to fly to Jupiter in 1970, and then Galileo was sent into orbit of the gas giant, and a probe was lowered into the atmosphere. Cassini took detailed photographs of the planet on its way to neighboring Saturn. The next Juno mission arrived at Jupiter in July 2016.
Significant Events
- 1610: Galileo Galilei made the first detailed observations of the planet.
- 1973: The first spacecraft, Pioneer 10, crossed and flew past the gas giant.
- 1979: The first and second Voyagers discovered new moons, rings, and volcanic activity on Io.
- 1992: On February 8, Ulysses flew past Jupiter. Gravity changed the spacecraft's trajectory away from the ecliptic plane, placing the probe into a final orbit above the south and north poles of the Sun.
- 1994: A collision with fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy occurred in the southern hemisphere of Jupiter.
- 1995-2003: The Galileo spacecraft dropped a probe into the atmosphere of the gas giant and conducted long-term observations of the planet, its rings and satellites.
- 2000: Cassini made its closest approach to Jupiter at a distance of about 10 million km, capturing a highly detailed color mosaic photograph of the gas giant.
- 2007: Images taken by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft en route to Pluto showed new vistas of atmospheric storms, rings, volcanic Io and icy Europa.
- 2009: Astronomers observed the fall of a comet or asteroid on the southern hemisphere of the planet.
- 2016: Launched in 2011, Juno arrived at Jupiter and began conducting in-depth studies of the planet's atmosphere, deep structure and magnetosphere to unravel its origins and evolution.
Pop culture
Jupiter's sheer size is matched by its significant presence in pop culture, including films, television shows, video games and comic books. The gas giant became a prominent feature in the Wachowski sisters' sci-fi film Jupiter Ascending, and various moons of the planet became the home of Cloud Atlas, Futurama, Halo and many other films. In the movie Men in Black, when Agent Jay (Will Smith) said that one of his teachers seemed to be from Venus, Agent Kay (Tommy Lee Jones) replied that she was actually from one of the moons of Jupiter.