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Since ancient times, man has known five planets in the solar system: Mercury, Venus
ra, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. These planets are visible to the naked eye.At the beginning of the 17th century. Astronomers have proven that the Earth is also a planet. Later the planets Uranus and Neptune (the eighth, largest, and now the last planet of the solar system).
The 4 planets closest to the Sun (
Mercury, Vienna ra, Mars and Earth)called planet earthsno group. The next 4 planets are massive gas bodies and are called giant planets mi.We will talk about Jupiter, the fifth and largest of the planets in the solar system. Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and, accordingly, the largest of the gas giant planets.
The planet received its name in honor of the supreme god of ancient mythology (ancient Greek Zeus, among the Romans - Jupiter). Sometimes Jupiter is also called the “king of the planets.”
Jupiter's orbit lies beyond Mars and beyond the main asteroid belt. The semimajor axis of Jupiter's orbit is 5.2 AU, orbital eccentricity e = 0,0489.
Jupiter is 11.2 times larger in diameter and 318 times larger than Earth in mass. In general, m The mass of Jupiter exceeds the mass of all other planets combined.
It is located at an average distance of 779 million km from the Sun, i.e. five times farther from the Sun than the Earth. Jupiter spends about 12 years on one orbital revolution. The average orbital speed is 13.1 km/s. But, despite its gigantic size, this planet’s own rotation is very fast - faster than Earth or Mars. Jupiter makes one revolution around its axis in 9 hours 55 minutes. And then this is the average period of rotation of the visible surface.
Due to its rapid rotation, Jupiter is greatly flattened by centrifugal forces: its equatorial radius (71,492 km) is 7% larger than its polar radius, which is easy to notice when observed through a telescope. Jupiter does not have a solid surface in the generally accepted sense; it also has a low average density (1.33 g/cm3). It consists almost entirely of hydrogen and helium. Therefore, the rotation of Jupiter differs from the rotation of a rigid body: the equatorial region rotates faster than the polar regions.
The force of gravity at the planet's equator is 2.6 times greater than on Earth. Jupiter's equator is inclined only 3° to its orbit, so the planet does not experience a change of seasons. The inclination of the orbit to the ecliptic plane is even less - only 1˚. That is, the axis of rotation of the planet is almost perpendicular to the orbit. Therefore, there is no change of seasons on Jupiter. Oppositions between Earth and Jupiter are repeated every 399 days.
The structure of Jupiter, chemical composition and physical conditions
The atmosphere of Jupiter consists mainly of hydrogen and helium: by volume their amounts are 89% and 11%, respectively, and by mass - 80% and 20%. What Resembles the chemical composition of the Sun. The hydrogen-helium atmosphere of Jupiter has a huge extent - over 1000 km. Under it, the pressure reaches such values that molecular hydrogen turns into liquid. The orange color of the atmosphere comes from phosphorus or sulfur compounds, and also contains ammonia and acetylene.
But let us return for now to the visible surface of the King of the Planets.
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The visible surface of Jupiter is dense clouds.
We see the surface of the cloud layer, the tops of the clouds. These clouds form bands of yellow-brown, white, red and bluish hues. The stripes form a system of dark zones and light zones. The stripes are located symmetrically north and south of the equator. To the north and south of latitudes ± 40˚, clouds form fields with brown and bluish spots. The rotation periods of these cloud layers are not the same: the closer they are to the equator, the shorter the period they rotate. Near the equator, they complete a revolution around the planet’s axis in 9 hours 50 minutes, and at middle latitudes - in 9 hours 55 minutes.
After all, belts and zones are areas of downward and upward flows in the planet’s atmosphere. Atmospheric currents parallel to the equator are maintained by heat flows from the depths of the planet, as well as by the rapid rotation of Jupiter and energy from the Sun. The visible surface of the zones is located approximately 20 km above the belts. Strong turbulent gas movements are observed at the boundaries of belts and zones.
The color of the belts is explained by the presence of various chemical compounds. Closer to the poles of the planet, at high latitudes, clouds form a continuous field with brown and bluish spots up to 1,000 km across.
Jupiter is believed to have three layers of clouds in its atmosphere. Above are clouds of frozen ammonia; below it are crystals of ammonium and methane hydrogen sulfide, and in the lowest layer there is water ice and, possibly, liquid water. In addition, Jupiter has a hydrogen and helium corona.
The giant of the solar system, a gas giant, is located between Saturn and Mars, rotating at a distance of 770 million kilometers from the Sun. On a clear night, Jupiter is clearly visible through a small telescope or multiple binoculars: the light intensity it emits is second only to the Moon, Venus and the Sun. The ancient Romans gave it its modern name, correlating the planet with the most important character of the pagan pantheon - Jupiter. Planet Jupiter - interesting facts about vortexes, auroras, the Great Red Spot.
Space giant
The equatorial diameter of the giant is 11 times greater than the diameter of the Earth. The volume of the fifth planet can easily accommodate 1,300 planets similar to ours.
The supergiant has a shape flattened at the poles and bulging at the equator due to the rapid speed of rotation around its own axis.
The absence of firmament, depressions and mountain ranges gives the colossus a smooth, even surface.
Having the greatest mass, Jupiter is also distinguished by the greatest agility: it completes a revolution around its axis in less than 10 hours.
It takes 12 years to complete a revolution around the Sun.
There is no change of seasons on the supergiant.
People on Earth are accustomed to the fact that shaded places are cooler than those illuminated by the Sun. On Jupiter, the opposite is true: the shadow surface is much hotter than the illuminated areas.
It turns out that the gigantic planetoid emits more energy than it absorbs heat from the sun's rays.
Compound
The composition of the gas giant is similar to the Sun.
Jupiter's core is similar in size to the Earth's core, but 10 times lighter. The centosphere is solid, heated to 20,000°C, surrounded by a mixture of light gases - hydrogen and helium.
The atmosphere has a brownish-orange tint due to phosphorus and sulfur compounds; its density is 18 times higher than that of Earth. The troposphere contains hydrosulfites, ammonia, and frozen water. Low temperatures prevail here: minus 150° - minus 100°C. The stratosphere is made of hydrocarbons. Above it is the thermosphere, heated to 725°C.
Interesting fact about Jupiter. Regarding earthly values, the supergiant is considered the richest astronomical object: diamond rains occur on the planet.
Gigantic lightning transforms gas (methane) into carbon. As it approaches the surface, the compound hardens and turns into graphite. Continuing its movement, graphite becomes diamond. Once it reaches the planet's core, it melts, creating a (hypothetically) vast sea of liquid carbon.
Giant stripes encircle the equatorial part of the Fifth Planet; they have been observed for a long time and are visible even to a novice astronomer. There is no single hypothesis regarding their origin.
The picturesque color of the planetoid is due to the layering of gas layers that form the remarkable red and white stripes of the Fifth Planet. The red layers (stripes) are hot, the white layers (zones) have a low temperature.
Vortexes and auroras
The fifth planet is the element of winds and storms. Its main driving forces are hot flows from the core and the energy of the rapid movement of the celestial body around its axis.
The wind speed here exceeds 600 km/h.
On the surface of Jupiter you can see numerous spots of anticyclones and cyclones. The cause of these atmospheric anomalies has not been studied.
Monstrous lightning flashes on the gas giant, a thousand times greater in length and power than earthly celestial guests.
There is a bright glow near the poles. The phenomenon is constant, only its intensity changes. The aurora is formed from three main components: a central bright beam, hot spots and pulsed emissions inside the main zone.
The auroras of Jupiter outshine the earth's northern lights in terms of intensity of color and vastness of area (larger than the surface of the Earth).
Gravity
The force of gravity is two and a half times greater than Earth's gravity. If you place a 100-kilogram object on a giant planetoid, its weight will increase to 250 kilograms.
The gravitational force of the planet changes the trajectories of comets and attracts them towards itself. Jupiter - an interesting fact - is a shield for the planets of the solar system, protecting them from falling celestial particles.
There is a hypothesis that the gravitational force of a supergiant influenced the formation of our planetary system.
Jupiter, like Saturn, has rings. Ground equipment does not allow them to be seen; they were spotted using the Voyager-I spacecraft.
Rings are formed from universal dust, resulting from the collision of the planet’s satellites with meteors. The Fifth Planet has several of them: the main (main) ring, the Halo (made of solid dark particles) and the cobweb ring (transparent, consisting of small fragments of satellites). A distinctive feature of Jupiter's rings is the absence of ice in them.
A magnetic field
The planet is considered the queen of the solar system's magnetic fields. It is shrouded in a mantle of charged electrical particles, stretching over 650 million km. The fifth planet's magnetic sphere is approximately 18,000 times stronger than Earth's.
The level of radioactive radiation near the giant is a thousand times higher than the level lethal to humans. The accuracy of bombardment with radioactive particles is such that it damages specially protected space vehicles. Hypothetically, this power would be enough to absorb the Sun.
The planetary giant produces noises that sound like human voices. This hubbub is called electromagnetic speech. Ufologists often mistake such “voices” for audio signals from alien cultures.
The gas giant has four moons and 67 small satellites. It can be considered as a kind of “Jupiterocentric” system within the heliocentric one.
The first four Jovian moons are Ganymede, Europa, Io and Callisto- were discovered by Galileo Galilei at the beginning of the 17th century. They are identified as darkened dots on the bright body of Jupiter. The discovery of satellites confirmed Copernicus' guess that the Earth is not the center of the Universe.
Each of the moons is approximately one and a half times larger than the Earth's Moon. The most impressive size Ganymede: its diameter is only three and a half times smaller than our planet. On a surface And about 8 active volcanoes were observed; Besides the Earth, it is the only known space object that has mountains and active volcanoes. On Europe Water was found under a layer of centuries-old ice. There might be an ocean hiding here. Callisto It is not reflective and is believed to be formed from impenetrable stone.
The density of satellites depends on the distance from Jupiter: the closer to it, the higher the density.
In addition to permanent moons, the colossus also has temporary ones (comets).
Great Red Spot
The phenomenon of the “Great Red Spot” was discovered by Giovanni Domenico Cassini in the second half of the 17th century.
The famous egg-shaped, rust-colored mark is visible in all photographs of the Fifth Planet. This is a vortex anticyclone that has raged for three and a half centuries. The rotation speed at the center of the tornado is 400 – 500 km/h. Its movement is directed counterclockwise.
More than a century ago, the scorch was the size of our planet; since then it has shrunk by almost half. The mysterious spot is constantly changing: either its area increases and it becomes even brighter, or it decreases and dims.
Only its location remains unchanged.
Fantastic
The composition of the gas giant's atmosphere is similar to the Earth's atmosphere in the distant past. In the second half of the twentieth century, the topic of the possibility of life in the upper layers of Jupiter’s atmosphere, where water vapor is present, where temperature and pressure contribute to the development of water-hydrocarbon life activity, was discussed. But the hypothesis has not yet been confirmed; rather, it has been refuted by the latest research.
Austrian physicist Edwin Salpeter and American astrophysicist Carl Sagan outlined hypothetical life forms adapted to the peculiarities of Jupiter. These are tiny, very rapidly reproducing sneakers(similar to viruses); gigantic (the size of an earthly city) floaters, similar to the earth's flora; And hunters – predators that eat floaters. This is interesting information, but it has the character of a literary fantasy work.
There is a hypothesis about the habitability of Jupiter’s satellites: Europa has water, tidal waves provide heat, the presence of oxygen is possible, although life can completely survive without O 2. The presence of extraterrestrial life, even in primitive forms, has not been confirmed, so far this information is the destiny of works of science fiction writers, nothing more.
Powerful, swift, full of greatness mini-Universe. Is the Fifth Planet ready to reveal its secrets to earthlings? Astronomers have something to work on; they don’t need to go into the depths of the universe; our solar system still has many mysteries, including those about Jupiter.
solar system– these are 8 planets and more than 63 of their satellites, which are being discovered more and more often, several dozen comets and a large number of asteroids. All cosmic bodies move along their own clearly directed trajectories around the Sun, which is 1000 times heavier than all the bodies in the solar system combined. The center of the solar system is the Sun, a star around which the planets orbit. They do not emit heat and do not glow, but only reflect the light of the Sun. There are now 8 officially recognized planets in the solar system. Let us briefly list them all in order of distance from the sun. And now a few definitions.
Planet is a celestial body that must satisfy four conditions:
1. the body must revolve around a star (for example, around the Sun);
2. the body must have sufficient gravity to have a spherical or close to it shape;
3. the body should not have other large bodies near its orbit;
4. the body should not be a star
Satellites of the planets. The solar system also includes the Moon and the natural satellites of other planets, which they all have except Mercury and Venus. Over 60 satellites are known. Most of the satellites of the outer planets were discovered when they received photographs taken by robotic spacecraft. Jupiter's smallest satellite, Leda, is only 10 km across.
is a star without which life on Earth could not exist. It gives us energy and warmth. According to the classification of stars, the Sun is a yellow dwarf. Age about 5 billion years. It has a diameter at the equator of 1,392,000 km, 109 times larger than that of Earth. The rotation period at the equator is 25.4 days and 34 days at the poles. The mass of the Sun is 2x10 to the 27th power of tons, approximately 332,950 times the mass of the Earth. The temperature inside the core is approximately 15 million degrees Celsius. The surface temperature is about 5500 degrees Celsius. In terms of its chemical composition, the Sun consists of 75% hydrogen, and of the other 25% elements the majority is helium. Now let’s figure out in order how many planets revolve around the sun, in the solar system and the characteristics of the planets.
The four inner planets (closest to the Sun) - Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars - have a solid surface. They are smaller than the four giant planets. Mercury moves faster than other planets, being burned by the sun's rays during the day and freezing at night.
Period of revolution around the Sun: 87.97 days. Diameter at the equator: 4878 km.
Rotation period (rotation around an axis): 58 days.
Surface temperature: 350 during the day and -170 at night.
Atmosphere: very rarefied, helium.
How many satellites: 0.
The main satellites of the planet: 0.
More similar to Earth in size and brightness. Observing it is difficult due to the clouds enveloping it. The surface is a hot rocky desert. 
Period of revolution around the Sun: 224.7 days.
Diameter at the equator: 12104 km.
Rotation period (rotation around an axis): 243 days.
Surface temperature: 480 degrees (average).
Atmosphere: dense, mostly carbon dioxide.
How many satellites: 0.
The main satellites of the planet: 0.
Apparently, the Earth was formed from a gas and dust cloud, like other planets. Particles of gas and dust collided and gradually “grew” the planet. The temperature on the surface reached 5000 degrees Celsius. Then the Earth cooled and became covered with a hard rock crust. But the temperature in the depths is still quite high - 4500 degrees. Rocks in the depths are molten and during volcanic eruptions they flow to the surface. Only on earth there is water. That's why life exists here. It is located relatively close to the Sun in order to receive the necessary heat and light, but far enough so as not to burn out.
Period of revolution around the Sun: 365.3 days. Diameter at the equator: 12756 km.
Period of rotation of the planet (rotation around its axis): 23 hours 56 minutes.
Surface temperature: 22 degrees (average).
Atmosphere: Mainly nitrogen and oxygen.
Number of satellites: 1.
The main satellites of the planet: the Moon.
Because of its resemblance to Earth, it was believed that life existed here. But the spacecraft that descended to the surface of Mars found no signs of life. This is the fourth planet in order. 
Period of revolution around the Sun: 687 days.
Diameter of the planet at the equator: 6794 km.
Rotation period (rotation around an axis): 24 hours 37 minutes.
Surface temperature: –23 degrees (average).
The planet's atmosphere: thin, mostly carbon dioxide.
How many satellites: 2.
The main satellites in order: Phobos, Deimos.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are made of hydrogen and other gases. Jupiter exceeds Earth by more than 10 times in diameter, 300 times in mass and 1300 times in volume. It is more than twice as massive as all the planets in the solar system combined. How long does it take for planet Jupiter to become a star? We need to increase its mass by 75 times!
Period of revolution around the Sun: 11 years 314 days. Diameter of the planet at the equator: 143884 km.
Rotation period (rotation around an axis): 9 hours 55 minutes.
Planet surface temperature: –150 degrees (average).
Number of satellites: 16 (+ rings).
The main satellites of the planets in order: Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto.
It is number 2, the largest of the planets in the solar system. Saturn attracts attention thanks to its ring system formed of ice, rocks and dust that orbit the planet. There are three main rings with an outer diameter of 270,000 km, but their thickness is about 30 meters. 
Period of revolution around the Sun: 29 years 168 days.
Diameter of the planet at the equator: 120536 km.
Rotation period (rotation around an axis): 10 hours 14 minutes.
Surface temperature: –180 degrees (average).
Atmosphere: Mainly hydrogen and helium.
Number of satellites: 18 (+ rings).
Main satellites: Titan.
A unique planet in the solar system. Its peculiarity is that it rotates around the Sun not like everyone else, but “lying on its side.” Uranus also has rings, although they are harder to see. In 1986, Voyager 2 flew at a distance of 64,000 km, he had six hours to take photographs, which he successfully implemented.
Orbital period: 84 years 4 days. Diameter at the equator: 51118 km.
Period of rotation of the planet (rotation around its axis): 17 hours 14 minutes.
Surface temperature: -214 degrees (average).
Atmosphere: Mainly hydrogen and helium.
How many satellites: 15 (+ rings).
Main satellites: Titania, Oberon.
At the moment, Neptune is considered the last planet in the solar system. Its discovery took place through mathematical calculations, and then it was seen through a telescope. In 1989, Voyager 2 flew past. He took stunning photographs of the blue surface of Neptune and its largest moon, Triton. 
Period of revolution around the Sun: 164 years 292 days.
Diameter at the equator: 50538 km.
Rotation period (rotation around an axis): 16 hours 7 minutes.
Surface temperature: –220 degrees (average).
Atmosphere: Mainly hydrogen and helium.
Number of satellites: 8.
Main satellites: Triton.
On August 24, 2006, Pluto lost its planetary status. The International Astronomical Union has decided which celestial body should be considered a planet. Pluto does not meet the requirements of the new formulation and loses its “planetary status”, at the same time Pluto takes on a new quality and becomes the prototype of a separate class of dwarf planets.
How did the planets appear? Approximately 5–6 billion years ago, one of the disk-shaped gas and dust clouds of our large Galaxy (Milky Way) began to shrink toward the center, gradually forming the present Sun. Further, according to one theory, under the influence of powerful forces of attraction, a large number of dust and gas particles revolving around the Sun began to stick together into balls - forming future planets. As another theory says, the gas and dust cloud immediately broke up into separate clusters of particles, which compressed and became denser, forming the current planets. Now 8 planets revolve around the Sun constantly.
Besides the Sun, the planet Jupiter is indeed the largest in size and mass in our solar system; it is not without reason that it is named after the main and most powerful god of the ancient pantheon - Jupiter in the Roman tradition (aka Zeus, in the Greek tradition). Also, the planet Jupiter is fraught with many mysteries and has been mentioned more than once on the pages of our scientific website. In today’s article we will collect all the information about this interesting giant planet together, so, forward to Jupiter.
Who discovered Jupiter
But first, a little history of the discovery of Jupiter. In fact, the Babylonian priests and part-time astronomers of the ancient world were already well aware of Jupiter; it was in their works that there were the first mentions of this giant in history. The thing is that Jupiter is so large that it could always be seen in the starry sky with the naked eye.
The famous astronomer Galileo Galilei was the first to study the planet Jupiter through a telescope, and he also discovered the four largest moons of Jupiter. At that time, the discovery of Jupiter's moons was an important argument in favor of Copernicus' heliocentric model (that the center of the celestial system is, and not the Earth). And the great scientist himself suffered persecution by the Inquisition for his revolutionary discoveries at that time, but that’s another story.
Subsequently, many astronomers looked at Jupiter through their telescopes, making various interesting discoveries, for example, the astronomer Cassini discovered a large red spot on the surface of the planet (we will write more about it below) and also calculated the rotation period and differential rotation of the atmosphere of Jupiter. Astronomer E. Bernard discovered the last satellite of Jupiter, Amatheus. Observations of Jupiter using increasingly powerful telescopes continue to this day.
Features of the planet Jupiter
If we compare Jupiter with our planet, then the size of Jupiter is 317 times larger than the size of the Earth. In addition, Jupiter is 2.5 times larger than all other planets in the solar system combined. As for the mass of Jupiter, it is 318 times greater than the mass of the Earth and 2.5 times greater than the mass of all other planets in the solar system combined. Jupiter's mass is 1.9 x 10*27.
Temperature of Jupiter
What is the temperature on Jupiter during the day and at night? Considering the great distance of the planet from the Sun, it is logical to assume that it is cold on Jupiter, but not everything is so simple. The outer atmosphere of the giant is indeed quite cold, the temperature there is approximately -145 degrees C, but as you move several hundred kilometers deeper into the planet it becomes warmer. And not just warmer, but simply hot, since on the surface of Jupiter the temperature can reach up to +153 C. Such a strong temperature difference is due to the fact that the surface of the planet consists of burning hydrogen, which releases heat. Moreover, the planet's molten interior releases even more heat than Jupiter itself receives from the Sun.
All this is complemented by the strongest storms raging on the planet (wind speeds reach 600 km per hour), which mix the heat emanating from the hydrogen component of Jupiter with the cold air of the atmosphere.
Is there life on Jupiter
As you can see, the physical conditions on Jupiter are very harsh, so given the lack of a solid surface, high atmospheric pressure and high temperature on the very surface of the planet, life on Jupiter is not possible.
Atmosphere of Jupiter
The atmosphere of Jupiter is huge, as is Jupiter itself. The chemical composition of Jupiter's atmosphere is 90% hydrogen and 10% helium; the atmosphere also includes some other chemical elements: ammonia, methane, hydrogen sulfide. And since Jupiter is a gas giant without a solid surface, there is no boundary between its atmosphere and the surface itself.
But if we began to descend deeper into the bowels of the planet, we would notice changes in the density and temperature of hydrogen and helium. Based on these changes, scientists have identified such parts of the planet's atmosphere as the troposphere, stratosphere, thermosphere and exosphere.
Why Jupiter is not a star
Readers may have noticed that in its composition, and especially in the predominance of hydrogen and helium, Jupiter is very similar to the Sun. In this regard, the question arises why Jupiter is still a planet and not a star. The fact is that he simply did not have enough mass and heat to begin the fusion of hydrogen atoms into helium. According to scientists, Jupiter needs to increase its current mass by 80 times in order to begin thermonuclear reactions that occur on the Sun and other stars.
Photo of the planet Jupiter
Surface of Jupiter
Due to the absence of a solid surface on the giant planet, scientists took the lowest point in its atmosphere, where the pressure is 1 bar, as a certain conventional surface. Various chemical elements that make up the planet's atmosphere contribute to the formation of the colorful clouds of Jupiter that we can observe in a telescope. It is ammonia clouds that are responsible for the red-and-white striped color of the planet Jupiter.
Great Red Spot on Jupiter
If you carefully examine the surface of the giant planets, you will definitely notice the characteristic large red spot, which was first noticed by the astronomer Cassini while observing Jupiter in the late 1600s. What is this great red spot of Jupiter? According to scientists, this is a large atmospheric storm, so large that it has been raging in the southern hemisphere of the planet for more than 400 years, and possibly longer (considering that it could have arisen long before Cassini saw it).
Although recently, astronomers have noticed that the storm has begun to subside slowly, as the size of the spot began to shrink. According to one hypothesis, the great red spot will take a circular shape by 2040, but how long it will last is unknown.
Age of Jupiter
At the moment, the exact age of the planet Jupiter is unknown. The difficulty in determining it is that scientists do not yet know how Jupiter was formed. According to one hypothesis, Jupiter, like other planets, was formed from the solar nebula about 4.6 billion years ago, but this is just a hypothesis.
Rings of Jupiter
Yes, Jupiter, like any decent giant planet, has rings. Of course, they are not as large and noticeable as those of his neighbor. Jupiter's rings are thinner and weaker; most likely they consist of substances ejected by the giant's satellites during collisions with wandering asteroids and.
Moons of Jupiter
Jupiter has as many as 67 satellites, essentially more than all other planets in the solar system. The satellites of Jupiter are of great interest to scientists, as among them there are such large specimens that their size exceeds some small planets (like “not planets”), which also have significant reserves of groundwater.
Rotation of Jupiter
One year on Jupiter lasts 11.86 Earth years. It is during this period of time that Jupiter makes one revolution around the Sun. The speed of the planet Jupiter's orbit is 13 km per second. Jupiter's orbit is slightly tilted (about 6.09 degrees) compared to the plane of the ecliptic.
How long does it take to fly to Jupiter?
How long is the flight to Jupiter from Earth? When Earth and Jupiter are closest to each other, they are 628 million kilometers apart. How long will it take modern spaceships to cover this distance? Launched by NASA back in 1979, the Voyager 1 research shuttle took 546 days to fly to Jupiter. For Voyager 2, a similar flight took 688 days.
- Despite its truly gigantic size, Jupiter is also the fastest planet in the solar system in terms of rotation around its axis, so to make one revolution around its axis it will take only 10 of our hours, so a day on Jupiter is equal to 10 hours.
- Clouds on Jupiter can be up to 10 km thick.
- Jupiter has an intense magnetic field that is 16 times stronger than the Earth's magnetic field.
- It is quite possible to see Jupiter with your own eyes, and most likely you have seen it more than once, you just didn’t know that it was Jupiter. If you see a large and bright star in the starry night sky, then most likely it is him.
Planet Jupiter, video
And finally, an interesting documentary about Jupiter.
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The planet has been known to people since ancient times and is reflected in the mythology and religious beliefs of many cultures.
Jupiter is composed primarily of hydrogen and helium. Most likely, in the center of the planet there is a rocky core of heavier elements under high pressure. Due to its rapid rotation, Jupiter's shape is an oblate spheroid (it has a significant bulge around its equator). The planet's outer atmosphere is clearly divided into several elongated bands along latitudes, and this leads to storms and storms along their interacting boundaries. A notable result of this is the Great Red Spot, a giant storm that has been known since the 17th century. According to data from the Galileo lander, pressure and temperature increase rapidly as one goes deeper into the atmosphere. Jupiter has a powerful magnetosphere.
Jupiter's satellite system consists of at least 63 moons, including 4 large moons, also called "Galileans", which were discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610. Jupiter's moon Ganymede has a diameter greater than that of Mercury. A global ocean has been discovered beneath the surface of Europa, and Io is known for having the most powerful volcanoes in the solar system. Jupiter has faint planetary rings.
Jupiter has been explored by eight NASA interplanetary probes. The most important were studies using the Pioneer and Voyager spacecraft, and later Galileo, which dropped a probe into the planet’s atmosphere. The last vehicle to visit Jupiter was the New Horizons probe, heading to Pluto.
Observation
Planet parameters
Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. Its equatorial radius is 71.4 thousand km, which is 11.2 times the radius of the Earth.
The mass of Jupiter is more than 2 times the total mass of all other planets in the solar system, 318 times the mass of the Earth and only 1000 times less than the mass of the Sun. If Jupiter were about 60 times more massive, it could become a star. The density of Jupiter is approximately equal to the density of the Sun and is significantly inferior to the density of the Earth.
The equatorial plane of the planet is close to the plane of its orbit, so there are no seasons on Jupiter.
Jupiter rotates around its axis, and not like a rigid body: the angular velocity of rotation decreases from the equator to the poles. At the equator, a day lasts about 9 hours 50 minutes. Jupiter rotates faster than any other planet in the solar system. Due to the rapid rotation, the polar compression of Jupiter is very noticeable: the polar radius is 4.6 thousand km less than the equatorial radius (that is, 6.5%).
All we can observe on Jupiter are the clouds of the upper atmosphere. The giant planet consists mainly of gas and does not have the solid surface we are accustomed to.
Jupiter releases 2-3 times more energy than it receives from the Sun. This may be explained by the gradual compression of the planet, the sinking of helium and heavier elements, or the processes of radioactive decay in the bowels of the planet.
Most of the currently known exoplanets are comparable in mass and size to Jupiter, so its mass is ( MJ) and radius ( R J) are widely used as convenient units of measurement to indicate their parameters.
Internal structure
Jupiter is composed primarily of hydrogen and helium. Under the clouds there is a layer 7-25 thousand km deep, in which hydrogen gradually changes its state from gas to liquid with increasing pressure and temperature (up to 6000 °C). There appears to be no clear boundary separating gaseous hydrogen from liquid hydrogen. It should look like a continuous boiling of the global hydrogen ocean.
Model of Jupiter's internal structure: a rocky core surrounded by a thick layer of metallic hydrogen.
Under the liquid hydrogen there is a layer of liquid metallic hydrogen with a thickness, according to theoretical models, of about 30-50 thousand km. Liquid metallic hydrogen forms at pressures of several million atmospheres. Protons and electrons exist separately in it, and it is a good conductor of electricity. Powerful electric currents arising in the layer of metallic hydrogen generate Jupiter's gigantic magnetic field.
Scientists believe that Jupiter has a solid rocky core made of heavy elements (heavier than helium). Its dimensions are 15-30 thousand km in diameter, the core has a high density. According to theoretical calculations, the temperature at the boundary of the planet’s core is about 30,000 K, and the pressure is 30-100 million atmospheres.
Measurements made both from Earth and from probes have found that the energy Jupiter emits, mainly in the form of infrared radiation, is approximately 1.5 times greater than that it receives from the Sun. From this it is clear that Jupiter has a significant reserve of thermal energy formed during the compression of matter during the formation of the planet. In general, it is believed that the interior of Jupiter is still very hot - about 30,000 K.
Atmosphere
Jupiter's atmosphere consists of hydrogen (81% by number of atoms and 75% by mass) and helium (18% by number of atoms and 24% by mass). The share of other substances accounts for no more than 1%. The atmosphere contains methane, water vapor, and ammonia; There are also traces of organic compounds, ethane, hydrogen sulfide, neon, oxygen, phosphine, sulfur. The outer layers of the atmosphere contain crystals of frozen ammonia.
Clouds at different heights have their own color. The highest of them are red, a little lower are white, even lower are brown, and in the lowest layer are bluish.
Jupiter's reddish color variations may be due to the presence of compounds of phosphorus, sulfur and carbon. Since color can vary greatly, hence the chemical composition of the atmosphere also varies from place to place. For example, there are “dry” and “wet” areas with different amounts of water vapor.
The temperature of the outer layer of clouds is about −130 °C, but increases rapidly with depth. According to data from the Galileo lander, at a depth of 130 km the temperature is +150 °C, the pressure is 24 atmospheres. The pressure at the upper boundary of the cloud layer is about 1 atm, i.e., the same as at the surface of the Earth. Galileo discovered "warm spots" along the equator. Apparently, in these places the outer cloud layer is thin and warmer inner areas can be seen.
Wind speeds on Jupiter can exceed 600 km/h. Atmospheric circulation is determined by two main factors. Firstly, Jupiter's rotation in the equatorial and polar regions is not the same, so atmospheric structures stretch into stripes that encircle the planet. Secondly, there is temperature circulation due to the heat released from the depths. Unlike the Earth (where atmospheric circulation occurs due to the difference in solar heating in the equatorial and polar regions), on Jupiter the effect of solar radiation on temperature circulation is insignificant.
Convective flows that carry internal heat to the surface appear externally as light zones and dark belts. In the area of light zones there is increased pressure corresponding to upward flows. The clouds forming the zones are located at a higher level (about 20 km), and their light color is apparently due to an increased concentration of bright white ammonia crystals. The dark clouds of the belts located below are presumably composed of red-brown crystals of ammonium hydrosulfide and have a higher temperature. These structures represent areas of downdrafts. Zones and belts have different speeds of movement in the direction of Jupiter's rotation. The orbital period varies by several minutes depending on latitude. This results in the existence of stable zonal currents or winds that constantly blow parallel to the equator in one direction. Velocities in this global system reach from 50 to 150 m/s and higher. At the boundaries of belts and zones, strong turbulence is observed, which leads to the formation of numerous vortex structures. The most famous such formation is the Great Red Spot, which has been observed on the surface of Jupiter for the last 300 years.
In the atmosphere of Jupiter, lightning is observed, the power of which is three orders of magnitude higher than that of Earth, as well as auroras. In addition, the Chandra orbital telescope discovered a source of pulsating X-ray radiation (called the Great X-ray spot), the causes of which are still a mystery.
Great red spot
The Great Red Spot is an oval formation of varying sizes located in the southern tropical zone. Currently, it has dimensions of 15 × 30 thousand km (significantly larger than the size of the Earth), and 100 years ago observers noted its dimensions to be 2 times larger. Sometimes it is not very clearly visible. The Great Red Spot is a unique long-lived giant hurricane (anticyclone), the substance in which rotates counterclockwise and completes a full revolution in 6 Earth days. It is characterized by upward currents in the atmosphere. The clouds in it are located higher, and their temperature is lower than in neighboring areas.
Magnetic field and magnetosphere
Life on Jupiter
At present, the presence of life on Jupiter seems unlikely due to the low concentration of water in the atmosphere and the absence of a solid surface. In the 1970s, American astronomer Carl Sagan raised the possibility of ammonia-based life in Jupiter's upper atmosphere. It should be noted that even at shallow depths in the Jovian atmosphere, the temperature and density are quite high, and the possibility of at least chemical evolution cannot be excluded, since the speed and probability of chemical reactions occurring favor this. However, the existence of water-hydrocarbon life on Jupiter is also possible: in the atmospheric layer containing clouds of water vapor, the temperature and pressure are also very favorable.
Comet Shoemaker-Levy
A trace from one of the comet fragments.
In July 1992, a comet approached Jupiter. It passed at a distance of about 15 thousand kilometers from the top of the clouds and the powerful gravitational influence of the giant planet tore its core into 17 large pieces. This comet swarm was discovered at Mount Palomar Observatory by spouses Caroline and Eugene Shoemaker and amateur astronomer David Levy. In 1994, during the next approach to Jupiter, all the debris of the comet crashed into the planet's atmosphere at a tremendous speed - about 64 kilometers per second. This enormous cosmic cataclysm was observed both from Earth and by space means, in particular, with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope, the IUE infrared satellite and the Galileo interplanetary space station. The fall of the nuclei was accompanied by interesting atmospheric effects, for example, auroras, black spots in the places where comet nuclei fell, and climate changes.
A spot near Jupiter's South Pole.
Notes
Links
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Satellites Jupiter Listing in groups in order of increasing semi-major axis of the orbit |
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|---|---|
| Internal satellites | Metis Adrastea Amalthea Thebe |
| Galilean satellites | Io Europa Ganymede Callisto |
| Themisto Group | Themisto |
| Himalia Group | Leda · Himalia · Lysithea · Elara · S/2000 J 11 |
| Karpo Group | Karpo · S/2003 J 12 |
| Ananke Group | Evporie · S/2003 J 3 · S/2003 J 18 · Telksinoe · Evante · Helike · |