The planet Jupiter

Planet Jupiter

In previous articles we talked about all the characteristics of the solar system. In this case, we are going to focus on the planet Jupiter. It is the fifth planet farthest from the Sun and the largest in the entire solar system. In Roman mythology he received the name of king of the gods. It is nothing more and nothing less than 1.400 times larger than Earth in size. However, its mass is only about 318 times that of Earth, since it is fundamentally gaseous.

Do you want to know everything related to the planet Jupiter? In this post we will analyze it in depth. You just have to keep reading 🙂

Jupiter characteristics

Jupiter characteristics

The density of Jupiter is about a quarter the density of our planet. However, the interior is made up mostly of the gases hydrogen, helium and argon. Unlike on Earth, there is no clear distinction between the Earth's surface and the atmosphere. This is because atmospheric gases slowly transform into liquids.

Hydrogen is so compressed that it is in a metallic liquid state. This does not happen on our planet. Due to the distance and the difficulty of studying the interior of this planet, it is not yet known what the nucleus is composed of. It is speculated that of rocky materials in the form of ice, given the very low temperatures.

Regarding its dynamics, one revolution around the Sun every 11,9 Earth years. Due to the distance and the longer orbit it takes longer to go around the Sun than our planet. It is located at an orbital distance of 778 million kilometers. Earth and Jupiter have periods when they move closer and farther from each other. This is because their orbits are not all the same years. Every 47 years, the distance between the planets varies.

The minimum distance between the two planets is 590 million kilometers. This distance occurred in 2013. However, these planets can be found at a maximum distance of 676 million kilometers.

Atmosphere and dynamics

Atmosphere of Jupiter

Jupiter's equatorial diameter is 142.800 kilometers. It takes only about 9 hours and 50 minutes to turn on its axis. This rapid rotation and its almost entire composition of hydrogen and helium cause a thickening of the equator that is seen when the planet is viewed through a telescope. The rotation is not uniform and the same effect is noticeable in the Sun.

Its atmosphere is very deep. It can be said that it envelops the entire planet from the inside to the outside. It is somewhat like a Sun. It is composed primarily of hydrogen and helium with other small amounts of methane, ammonia, water vapor, and other compounds. If we go to great depths of Jupiter, the pressure is so great that the hydrogen atoms break, releasing their electrons. This occurs in such a way that the resulting atoms are composed solely of protons.

This is how the new state of hydrogen has been obtained, called metallic hydrogen. Its main characteristic is that it has the same properties as an electrically conductive liquid material.

Its dynamics is reflected in some longitudinal stripes of colors, atmospheric clouds and storms. Cloud patterns change in hours or days. These stripes are more visible due to the pastel colors of the clouds. These colors are seen in the Great Red Spot of Jupiter. It is perhaps the most famous brand on this planet. And it is a complex oval-shaped storm with color variations from brick red to pink. It moves counterclockwise and has been active for a long time.

Composition, structure and magnetic field

Size compared to Earth

As mentioned before, spectroscopic observations from Earth have shown that most of Jupiter's atmosphere is made up of molecular hydrogen. Infrared studies indicate that 87% is hydrogen and the other 13% helium.

The density that has been observed allows us to deduce that the interior of the planet must have the same composition of the atmosphere. This immense planet is made up of the two lightest and most abundant elements in the universe. This makes it have a composition very similar to that of the Sun and other stars.

Consequently, Jupiter may well have come from a direct condensation of a primordial solar nebula. This is the great cloud of interstellar gas and dust from which our entire solar system formed.

Jupiter emits about twice as much energy as it receives from the Sun. The source that releases this energy comes from a slow gravitational contraction of the entire planet. It would have to be about a hundred times as large for the mass to start nuclear reactions like those of the Sun and stars. It could be said that Jupiter is a dim Sun.

The atmosphere has a turbulent regime and there are many types of clouds. It is very cold. Periodic temperature fluctuations in Jupiter's upper atmosphere reveal a pattern in the change of winds like that of the equatorial region of Earth's stratosphere. Although only the outermost part of Jupiter can be studied with complete clarity, calculations show that temperature and pressure increase as we move deeper into the planet. It is estimated that the core of the planet could be similar to that of the Earth.

In the depth of the innermost layers the Jovian magnetic field is generated. On the surface the magnetic field exceeds that of the Earth by about 14 times. However, its polarity is reversed with respect to that of our planet. One of our compass would point north to south. This magnetic field generates huge radiation belts of charged particles that are trapped. These particles surround the planet at a distance of 10 million kilometers.

Most important satellites

Great Red Spot

So far 69 natural satellites of Jupiter have been recorded. More recent observations have shown that the mean densities of the largest moons follow the apparent trend of the solar system itself. The main satellites are called Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. The first two are closer to the planet, dense and rocky. On the other hand, Ganymede and Callisto are more distant and are composed of ice with much lower densities.

During the formation of these satellites, the proximity of the central body causes the most volatile particles to condense and form these aggregates.

With this information you will be able to get to know this great planet better.


Be the first to comment

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

*

*

  1. Responsible for the data: Miguel Ángel Gatón
  2. Purpose of the data: Control SPAM, comment management.
  3. Legitimation: Your consent
  4. Communication of the data: The data will not be communicated to third parties except by legal obligation.
  5. Data storage: Database hosted by Occentus Networks (EU)
  6. Rights: At any time you can limit, recover and delete your information.