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| The Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. |
The
Jupiter is fifth planet from the sun in our solar system. Jupiter is the
largest planet in our solar system. Jupiter is named after the Roman king of
the god in Roman mythology and as like Romans the ancient Greeks named Jupiter
after their king of the god Zeus. The Jupiter is more than twice as massive as
combination of the all planet in our solar system. If we can fill Jupiter with the Earth, then the Jupiter requires 1,300 Earths. The Jupiter is mostly made up of
hydrogen and helium as like our sun. It could have actually become a star
instead of a planet.
Now
we know, how Jupiter is massive. The magnetic field produced by it is strongest
of all other rest planet in our solar system. The magnetic field of the Jupiter
is 20,000 times stronger than that of the Earth. The Jupiter is mainly known
for their moons. Jupiter has 79 moons, which are named after the Roman gods.
The Jupiter has four largest moons. The Jupiter by itself forms a kind of
miniature solar system. The four larger moons are Io, Europa, Ganymede and
Callisto. These four moons of Jupiter are known as “Galilean Moons”.
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| Jupiter is largest planet in our solar system. |
The
Jupiter rotates faster around its axis of rotation than any other planet in our
solar system. So the day on the Jupiter is shortest among the all planets. The
day is of 10 hours only. As the Jupiter is gas giant, the equator and polar
region speed of rotation are not same. The polar region requires few more hours
to complete the one rotation around the axis of rotation. The Jupiter requires
12 years to complete on orbit around the sun. In days 4,333 Earth days.
Inner Composition of Jupiter
The
core of the Jupiter is not explored yet, but scientists predicted that the core
of Jupiter is a dense mix of elements. The core has also been described as
rocky, but this remains unknown as well. The scientists still aren’t sure about
the core. According to observations, core looks like dense and swirling clouds.
But some reasons to believe Jupiter has rocky central core in a layer of liquid
metallic hydrogen with another layer of liquid molecular hydrogen on top. By
planetary formation models which also supported the presence of rocky core and
the very least an icy one, according to the gas giant history. According to the
Juno mission, the analysis shows that the Jupiter has a core more like a fuzzy
sphere spread across nearly half of Jupiter’s diameter.
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| The composition of Jupiter planet. |
The Liquid Metallic Hydrogen
On
Earth, the hydrogen is in state of the gas, but very gas can change its state
in presence of different temperature and pressure. The Jupiter has significant
amount of hydrogen gas, approximately 90%. At high temperature and pressure,
hydrogen become in a state of liquid metallic. The hydrogen in non-metallic element,
but at high temperature and pressure deep inside the Jupiter hydrogen becomes
metallic, losing their electrons, creating a free-floating stew of hydrogen
nuclei (protons) and electrons. Electrons can move easily between the nuclei
because the electrons are unbound. This is liquid metallic hydrogen which
behaves like a metal. Now hydrogen has a metallic property, so liquid metallic
hydrogen is conductive and it’s believed to be largely responsible for a dynamo,
that powers the Jupiter’s strongest magnetic field.
The Liquid Molecular Hydrogen
The
third layer or the top layer of the Jupiter is the liquid molecular hydrogen. The
liquid molecular hydrogen is non-metallic, colourless with the molecular
formula H2. At this layer, the pressure is less as compared with the
second layer. So, the pressure cannot get out the electrons from hydrogen atom.
So due to lack of free-floating electrons, there is no any movement in nuclei. So,
the layer liquid molecular hydrogen cannot conduct heat and electric energy.
This form of hydrogen is depleted with the helium.
Atmosphere of the Jupiter
The
Jupiter is made up of with approximately 90% of hydrogen, 9% of helium and in
1% hydrogen sulphide, methane, ammonia and water. The atmosphere of Jupiter is
largest planetary atmosphere in our solar system. The atmosphere is made up of
molecular hydrogen and in roughly helium solar proportions. The Jupiter has
atmospheric layers as like Earth, but layer behaves different at Jupiter. The
atmospheric layers are troposphere, stratosphere, thermosphere and exosphere.
Each layer has characteristic temperature gradients.
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| The atmosphere of Jupiter planet. |
The
layer troposphere is lowest layer of atmosphere. Troposphere has a complicated
system of clouds and hazes, comprising layers of the ammonia, ammonium
hydrosulphide and water. The upper ammonia cloud visible at Jupiter surface are
organized in a dozen zonal bands parallel to the equator. The bands are bounded
by powerful zonal atmospheric flow (wind) known as jet.
The
bands on Jupiter are in alternet colors. The dark band called as “belt”. While
light color band is called as “Zones”. Zones are colder than belts. The Zones
are believed to result of ammonia ice. There is uncertainty about hoe belt gets
dark color. The Jupiter atmosphere shows a wide range of active phenomena,
band instabilities, cyclones, anticyclones, storms and lightning. The cyclones
reveal themselves as large red spot, white or brown spots (ovals). The two
largest two spots are the Great red spot and OvalBA. The Jupiter has a powerful
storm with a lightning strike. The storms form mainly in belt regions. The
lightning strike on Jupiter are hundreds of times more powerful than those seen
on the Earth.
The Orbit of the Jupiter around the Sun
The
Jupiter requires approximately 12 years to complete one orbit around the sun.
the average orbital speed of Jupiter is 13 km per second or 8.12 miles per
second. The Jupiter is the only planet whose barycenter with the sun lies
outside the volume of the sun, though by only 7% of the sun’s radius. The
average distance Jupiter and sun is 778 million km. The planets are orbiting
around their star, but it is not fully true. The planet and stars are orbiting
their common center of mass. The common center of mass is known as
“Barycenter”. The Jupiter is only planet in our solar system whose barycenter lies outside the sun. Our entire solar system has a barycenter. All planets and
our sun orbits around this center.
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| The orbit of the Jupiter. |
Magnetic Field of Jupiter
The
Jupiter has intense, complex, largest and strongest magnetic field in our solar
system. No other planet in our solar system has this much of largest magnetic
field around. The magnetic field of the Jupiter is 20,000 times stronger than
that of the Earth’s magnetic field. The stronger the magnetic field, the larger
the magnetosphere. The magnetosphere sweeps the solar wind almost 3 million
kilometres before it reaches to the Jupiter. The magnetosphere of Jupiter is
reaches up to the orbit of the Saturn. The magnetosphere of Jupiter is extended
version of the Van Allen belt of the Earth.
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| The Magnetic field of Jupiter. |
The magnetic field of the Jupiter is created
by the liquid metallic hydrogen continuously moving around the core of the
planet. The metallic liquid generates the strongest magnetic field and largest
magnetosphere around the planet. The particles are trapped in Jupiter’s
magnetosphere coming from solar wind. These particles. Mostly electrons,
collides with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere transfer energy. This
energy released sometimes in the form of visible light. So as like on Earth,
Jupiter also has Auroras on their north pole and south pole.
Moons of the Jupiter
The
Jupiter is largest and has strongest magnetic field. The Jupiter has 79 moons
orbiting around it. The Galileo Galiles
and the Simon Marius discovered the first objects orbiting a body that was
neither Earth nor the sun in 1610. The most massive four moons are known as
“Galilean Moons” and names are given by the Simon Marius. The names are of
lovers or daughters of the Roman god of Jupiter or his Greek equivalent Zeus.
The four Galilean moons are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. The Ganymede is
the largest moon in our solar system and is even bigger than the planet
Mercury. The Io, Europa and Ganymede are inner moons of the Jupiter.
Io moon of the Jupiter
The Io is third largest moon of the Jupiter. Io
is fifth moon from Jupiter. Io takes 1.77 Earth days to orbit around the
Jupiter. Io is rocky moon of Jupiter most volcanically active moon in our solar
system. Io has nearly 400 active volcanos on surface of Io. Some of them
erupting lava fountains dozens of miles or kilometres high. Io is tidally
locked means one surface always points towards Jupiter. The distance between Io
and Jupiter is 262,000 miles or 422,000 kilometres.
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| The Io, one of the Galilean moon of the Jupiter. |
The
Jupiter strongest magnetic field generate tremendous tidal force on the Io. Io
has as extremely thin atmosphere, composed mostly of sulphur dioxide (SO2).
The volcanos regularly spew sulphur dioxide into its atmosphere. Io’s orbit
cuts across the Jupiter’s powerful magnetic lines of force, turning Io into an
electric generator. As Jupiter rotates, the magnetic force strips away about
ton of Io material every second. The material becomes ionized to forms doughnut
shaped radiation cloud called as Plasma Torus.
Europa Moon of the Jupiter
The
Europa is one of the Galilean Moons of the Jupiter. Europa is the smallest moon
of the four Galilean moons. Europa is frozen, covered with a layer of ice. The
scientists predict there is an ocean beneath the surface. The icy surface of
Europa makes the moon one of the most reflective in our solar system. The
Europa is 1,900 miles or 3,100 kilometre in diameter. So Europa is smaller than
Earth’s moon. But Europa is larger than Pluto.
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| The Europa, one of the smallest moon of the Galilean moons of Jupiter. |
The
Europa is sixth moon from the Jupiter. The distance between Europa and Jupiter
is about 414,000 miles or 670,900 kilometres. It takes Europa three and a half
Earth days to orbit Jupiter. Europa is also tidally locked, so the same side
faces Jupiter at all the times. The surface of Europa is covered with cracks.
These cracks are made by the strong tidal forces on the ocean beneath the
surface.
Ganymede Moon of the Jupiter
The Ganymede moon of Jupiter is largest and most
massive moons of the solar system. Outward from the Jupiter, Ganymede is ninth
moon and third of the Galilean moons. The Ganymede is ninth largest object in
our solar system. The diameter of the Ganymede is 5,268 kilometres or 3,273
miles. This makes Ganymede bigger than the planet Mercury. The moon Ganymede
has metallic core and it is the only moon known to have a magnetic field. By
the convection within its liquid iron core, magnetic field of Ganymede is
created. The meagre magnetic field is buried within Jupiter much larger
magnetic field and it would show only as a local perturbation of the field
lines.
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| The Ganymede is the massive moon in our solar system. |
The
Ganymede surface is composed of two main types, Dark region and Light region.
The Dark region is cover about a third of its surface. Dark region, saturated
with impact craters. The lighter is covers reminder of its surface. Lighter
region, crosscut by extensive grooves and ridges and only slight less ancient.
It is assumed that Ganymede has more water than Earth’s oceans beneath the
Ganymede’s icy crust.
Callisto Moon of the Jupiter
The
Callisto is second largest moon of the Jupiter and third largest moon in our
solar system. The Callisto is as same sized as Mercury planet and dwarf planet
Pluto. Callisto is outer most moon in Galilean moons. The Callisto is highly
cratered moon in our solar system. Callisto is made of ice and rock as like
Ganymede. The distance from Jupiter is 1,88,000 kilometres. The Callisto is
isolated from the neighbouring moons. Isolation means that Callisto does not
experience any significant tidal forces from Jupiter.
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| The Callisto is second largest moon of Jupiter. |
The
Callisto moon is made up of equal parts of rock and ice. The brighter part of
Callisto surface is mainly of water ice. The darker patches are regions of
highly eroded and ice poor rocky material. The surface of Callisto has presence
of various non ice materials such as iron bearing hydrated silicates,
magnesium, carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and possibly ammonia. As compared to
the other Galilean moons, the surface of Callisto is quite dark.
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