Facts about Jupiter, a giant in the solar system – Hipertextual

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Long, long ago, when our star was young, a piece of rock and ice began to accumulate gas of the nebula around him. To this day, which at the time it was the shadow of a planet has become the biggest titan within our solar system . So large and dense that inside pass unusual things. And around too. Therefore, today come from a probe to visit our small planet; to observe and discover some of its secrets. But probably many of its mysteries remain unsolved. This is the story of Jupiter, the giant of our sky.

To the heart of Jupiter

If we add all the mass of all planets system, Jupiter would remain a 2.48 times higher Imagine going on Juno. The probe has spent five years traveling to reach the vicinity of this giant. So large that its volume is equal to 1,317 “Earths”. Yes, hundreds and hundreds of planets like our own “fit” within our neighbor. It is also the “fattest” of all planet in the solar system. Its mass is about 318 times greater than Earth ; if we add all the masses of all the planets in the system, Jupiter would still be about 2.48 times more massive. Jupiter has more than earned the title of largest planet. And that is not as great as it was long. Due to a complex phenomenon of its gaseous atmosphere, the planet’s diameter has been reduced to half of what it was billions of years ago. But though it is huge, Jupiter is about eighty times below, speaking mass to become a star (which does not sound like much, but we are talking about more than 100,000 “Land” above).

but back to the loins of Juno, as you know, Jupiter is mainly a gaseous planet. Although the probe will not fall much, enough to better see what clouds hide their approach. Thousands of kilometers below its first layers, Jupiter hides a solid surface that believe . But before that, we would pass by a huge layer of liquid. Liquid which is nothing other than hydrogen. If we could go down suddenly occur a very curious phenomenon: a place where it rains hydrogen under the sea . Here, rain is helium and neon, both noble gases; and pressure and would, in complete safety, unbearable for any instrument that could build.

But if follow him down, we suddenly toparíamos with a crystal surface, as we have never seen. This surface is nothing less than metallic hydrogen. When hydrogen is subjected to enough pressure, the atoms are arranged in a particular way, in a very particular condensed liquid metal. At this point we have not entirely clear what the status of this area . There is still much to discover. But let down. After hundreds of thousands of kilometers under this metallic hydrogen end up bumping into the hard bone of Jupiter, its core of rock and ice. Although this is also a matter of discussion, another mystery of our giant neighbor.

Flying between clouds

Let’s get back to the surface, one of the most interesting parts of the planet. What is it made of? It is suspected that the main component of the first layers of Jupiter’s frozen ammonia. In this hydrogen probably sulfur or phosphorus is added. Almost certainly, experts say, a little further down there is a large amount of ammonium hydrosulfide. You can even below that there are very dense clouds of water. All this amalgam of gases creates the winding surface by Jupiter is famous. Its scrolls and currents are a reference image. The gaseous surface is divided into huge bands are turning to the planet . Jupiter moves very fast on itself, turning on its axis in just ten hours. This helps explain the incredible moves and dance bands performing gas.

The Coriolis force to which its surface is very intense subjects. well, winds can reach up to 500 km / h The Coriolis force which is very intense its surface is subjected. well, winds can reach up to 500 kilometers per hour, separating bands and spots on its surface in a very colorful way. Other important elements between hydrogen clouds of Jupiter are its spots. The Great Red Spot is an amazing weather phenomenon. It is a very stable over time in the edges anticyclone winds up to 400 kilometers per hour are given . In fact, the anticyclone itself is twice the size of Earth and has for centuries, if not millennia, on the surface of Jupiter. In turn, a few years ago she appeared another spot on the planet’s surface. The same size as the previous one, this new spot is also the result of a meteorological phenomenon and suggests that the winds and storms drench under its huge area.

Images taken with the Hubble telescope. Source: NASA and ESA

Another of the wonderful aspects of Jupiter are its huge auroras.. “Fueled” by intense solar winds, the particles near the speed of light trapped by the huge giant magnetosphere. The magnetosphere refers to an extensive and very strong magnetic field around the planet. If we could see it, Jupiter’s magnetosphere would be as big as our moon full , despite the enormous distance that separates us from it. This magnetic field attracts accelerated to the poles, where these spectacular auroras are caused particles. These auroras are practically eternal and much bigger than our own planet. These auroras are one of the biggest shows we can see through the clouds of Jupiter. But not the only, and probably the most mysterious. We still have much to understand our neighbor, a huge titan silent waiting the arrival of Juno, the probe will reveal many of its mysteries. Or so we hope.