What is even more provocative is the theory that Jupiter is a failed star. Current scientific knowledge suggests that if Jupiter had, in fact, been roughly 80 times more massive, nuclear fusion would have taken place in its core; thus, Jupiter would have become a star, not a planet. Regardless, it is still tempting to look at the number of satellites orbiting Jupiter and consider it and its moons as, in many ways, a mini solar system.<\/p>\n
Although our scientific knowledge of Jupiter has been greatly expanded as a result of the numerous planetary missions beginning in the 1970s, these missions are unnecessary for viewing the planet\u2019s surface features. Instead, most of these features can be observed using Earth-based telescopes. For example, as recently as 1994, the Hubble Space Telescope provided stunning images of the impact of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet into Jupiter.<\/p>\n
ATMOSPHERE<\/p>\n
The vertical dimension (i.e., thickness) of Jupiter\u2019s atmosphere is more difficult to define than those of the terrestrial planets. For example, whereas the lower boundary for the atmosphere on Earth is its solid planetary surface, there is no such equivalent on Jupiter. Essentially, Jupiter\u2019s atmosphere transitions from a gaseous outer zone into the planet\u2019s liquid layer. However, for practical purposes scientists have designated the depth at which the atmospheric pressure equals ten times the pressure at sea level on Earth as Jupiter\u2019s \u201csurface\u201d.<\/p>\n
Those layers of the atmosphere visible to Earth-based telescopes are divided into lighter and darker horizontal bands. Scientists believe these bands to be layers of high and low pressure. As a result, storms often develop on the boundaries between two adjacent bands. The Great Red Spot, visible in Jupiter\u2019s southern hemisphere, is one such storm. Amazingly, this storm has raged for centuries and is 25,000 km across—that is big enough to hold two Earths!<\/p>\n
The composition of Jupiter\u2019s atmosphere is very interesting. At roughly 90% hydrogen and 10% helium, Jupiter\u2019s composition is nearly the same as the Sun\u2019s. The only difference between the two is that the Sun is much more massive than Jupiter. This composition supports the theory that Jupiter could have been a star.<\/p>\n
INTERIOR<\/p>\n
The interior of Jupiter is believed to consist of three regions. The first is a rocky core composed of various elements with a mass between 12 and 45 times that of the entire Earth. The core is surrounded by the second region, a layer of electrically conductive liquid hydrogen. It is due to this layer, which comprises most of the planet\u2019s mass, that Jupiter has such a strong magnetic field. The third region consists of ordinary hydrogen with traces of helium, which transitions into the planet\u2019s atmosphere.<\/p>\n
A fascinating property of Jupiter is that it emits more energy than it receives from the Sun. This is due to the planet being so massive. As a result of such a large mass, Jupiter exerts a strong gravitational force on itself, thus resulting in the compression of the planet as a whole. The cumulative effect of all this inward force is the production of a large amount of heat, which is then radiated into space.<\/p>\n
ORBIT & ROTATION<\/p>\n
With a mean orbital distance of 7.78 x 108 km, Jupiter is, on average, a little more than five times the distance from the Earth to the Sun. This means that it takes about 43 minutes for sunlight to reach Jupiter. Also, Jupiter\u2019s orbital eccentricity of .04838 is fourth largest among the planets, giving it a perihelion of 7.41 x 108 km and an aphelion of 8.16 x 108 km. Jupiter\u2019s year is about 4,333 Earth days in length— that\u2019s about 12 times the length of one Earth year!<\/p>\n
Jupiter\u2019s axial tilt of 3.17\u00b0 is extremely small, second lowest in the Solar System behind Mercury. What this means is Jupiter doesn\u2019t experience seasons at all.<\/p>\n
Two things stand out about Jupiter\u2019s rotation. The first is its speed. At just under 10 hours, Jupiter has the shortest rotational period in the Solar System. (Saturn is a close second at 10.7 hours.) This quick rotational speed causes the planet to bulge near its equator, making it less spherical than most of the other planets. The second stand-out characteristic of Jupiter\u2019s rotation is that different parts rotate at different speeds. This is due to Jupiter\u2019s not being a solid body. For example, the polar atmosphere rotates about 5 minutes more slowly than that found at the equator.<\/p>\n
RINGS<\/p>\n
Although the rings of Saturn are well-known, it is uncommon to hear anything about Jupiter\u2019s rings. Nevertheless, Jupiter does have a ring system. Jupiter\u2019s rings are lesser known than Saturn\u2019s (or even Uranus\u2018) because they are primarily composed of dust, which makes them difficult to see. The formation of these rings is believed to have come about through Jupiter\u2019s gravity having captured material ejected from its moons.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
What is even more provocative is the theory that Jupiter is a failed star. Current scientific knowledge suggests that if Jupiter had, in fact, been roughly 80 times more massive, nuclear fusion would have taken place in its core; thus, Jupiter would have become a star, not a planet. Regardless, it is still tempting to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1666,"featured_media":43833,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-62","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mystery"],"yoast_head":"\n