Jupiter (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain what Jupiter is, its location in the solar system and its dimensions. Also, what are its characteristics, its climate and geological composition.

What is Jupiter?

Jupiter is a planet in the solar system, the largest and the fourth farthest from the Sun. It is located after the Asteroid Belt and before Saturn. It is one of the planets called “gas giants” and has a diameter eleven times that of the Earth.

It has many natural satellites. The four largest, called Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, were discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei. The rest are believed to be planets that were close to Jupiter and that, due to their gravity, were trapped in their orbit. Some scientists argue that Jupiter is a failed star, since it has not grown enough to become a star like the Sun.

Jupiter is mainly composed of gases, among which hydrogen and helium stand out, which represent 99% of the total. Although it is still a matter of study, it is thought that Jupiter’s core could be rocky.

The name Jupiter comes from Roman mythology. Jupiter is the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Zeus, who was considered the supreme god and ruler of the sky, as well as the protector of the State and its laws. The choice to name the largest planet in our solar system after Jupiter is part of the tradition of using names from mythology to designate planets.

Characteristics of Jupiter

The main characteristics of Jupiter are:

It is the largest planet in the solar system.
Its orbit is between Mars and Saturn.
It is the closest gas giant to the Sun.
Its average temperature is -160 °C.
Their days are very short, only ten hours long.
It takes almost twelve years to complete one revolution around the Sun.
It is mainly composed of hydrogen and helium.
It was discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610.
It has rings, although less visible than those of Saturn.

Location and dimensions of Jupiter

Jupiter’s orbit is located between Mars and Saturn, about 750 million kilometers from the Sun.. It is the fifth planet in the solar system and the first after the Asteroid Belt. In addition, it is the closest gas giant planet to the Sun.

Jupiter has a much faster rotation than the Earth, taking only ten hours to rotate around its own axis. That makes it the planet with the fastest rotation in the entire solar system. As for its movement around the Sun, it completes a complete orbit in 11.8 Earth years.

Its diameter of 139,820 kilometers makes it the largest planet in the entire solar system. However, it is not the largest known, as many planets outside the solar system are larger, such as ROXs 42Bb, the largest planet discovered so far, which is 2.5 times larger than Jupiter.

Composition of Jupiter

Jupiter does not have a defined solid surface, so it does not have geology in the traditional sense associated with rocky planets like Earth. Its internal structure is made up of layers of gas and liquids, and there is no clear transition between a “surface” and an atmosphere.

Most of the information we have about Jupiter’s atmosphere and internal dynamics comes from telescopic observations and, more recently, from NASA’s Juno probe, which has been studying the planet since its arrival in July 2016.

Jupiter’s atmosphere

Jupiter’s atmosphere is mostly composed of hydrogen and heliumwith a minimum percentage of methane, water vapor, ammonia and other compounds. The temperature at the top of the atmosphere, where most observations are made, is about -160°C.

Jupiter presents dark belts and lighter areas in its atmosphere, which are the result of its dynamics and its atmospheric currents. These patterns generate bands of clouds across the planet, giving it its striped appearance.

Jupiter Rings

Unlike Saturn, Jupiter’s rings are much less visible and noticeable.which makes their observation from Earth difficult and requires specific techniques to detect them. They are mainly composed of dust particles and small rock fragments.

Although the origin of Jupiter’s rings is not fully understood, it is thought that they could have formed from the impact of micrometeorites that produced particles and debris that were then dispersed into rings around the planet.

It is also thought that some of Jupiter’s small moons could experience weathering and generate debris that would contribute to the formation of the rings. Another theory holds that some rock fragments, such as asteroids or comets, could be captured by Jupiter’s strong gravitational field and become trapped in the rings.

Moons of Jupiter

Jupiter has 95 officially recognized moons. The four largest, known as “Galilean moons” because they were discovered by Galileo Galilei, are called Callisto, Europa, Ganymede and Io.

In addition to the Galilean satellites, there are other moons or satellites:

Interior moons. They are known as “Amaltea Group”. Their names are Metis, Adrastea, Amalthea and Thebe.
Exterior moons. They are larger in quantity, but smaller in size. They are believed to be asteroids that have been trapped in the planet’s gravitational field. Some of them are Himalia, Leda and Pasitea.

Explorations to Jupiter

Jupiter was first observed by Galileo Galilei in 1610who also identified four of its largest moons, now known as the Galilean moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto).

Curiosities of Jupiter

Jupiter presents some peculiarities, among them:

The biggest storm in the solar system. Jupiter has the Great Red Spot, a giant anticyclonic storm that has been active for at least 350 years. This immense storm is larger than Earth and is one of the longest-lasting atmospheric phenomena in the solar system.
The most massive planet. Jupiter is the largest and most massive planet in the solar system. Its mass is approximately 318 times that of the Earth and has a diameter that is nearly eleven times greater.
The extensive system of moons. Jupiter has an extensive satellite system, with more than 95 moons known to date.
The powerful magnetic field. Jupiter has one of the most intense magnetic fields in the solar system. It is approximately 20,000 times stronger than that of Earth.

References

Del Barco Novillo, O. (sf). Does Jupiter also have rings? How to understand the new images from the James Webb telescope. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/
NASA Science. (2023). All about Jupiter. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/
Rodríguez, H. (2023). Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is accelerating. National Geographic Spain. https://www.nationalgeographic.com.es/