Jupiter is popularly known for being the largest planet in the solar system. It is the fifth from the sun after Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, respectively. It takes its name from the Romans, who named it according to their god, “Jupiter”. On average, it falls into third place in the brightest objects observable in the night sky, after the Moon and Venus respectively.
Physical facts related to Jupiter
The equatorial diameter of Jupiter is about 142,984 kilometers. Its distance from the sun is about 778 million kilometers. It has an average density of about 1.326g / cm 3 . It is said that its mass is about two and a half times of all the other planets in the solar system put together.
The mysterious question: what is Jupiter really made of?
According to scientists and space experts, Jupiter is said to have a rocky core surrounded by liquid metallic hydrogen. The planet is mainly composed of gaseous matter such as hydrogen and liquids. Unlike other large planets, it does not have a distinct solid surface. It is surrounded by a weak ring similar to that of Saturn. It is also said to possess a powerful magnetosphere, which is responsible for intense periodic radio discharges from the polar regions of the planet.
Atmosphere of Jupiter
The atmosphere of Jupiter is a series of different layers which friction has significant results such as The Great Red Spot – a giant storm that has been observed for the first time by a telescope in the 17 th century. The planet is covered in clouds whose composition includes ammonia crystals and possibly ammonium hydrosulfide. They exist in various tropical regions. In these regions, wind speeds of 360 km / h have been recorded.
Form of Jupiter
Just like the planet Earth, Jupiter is not actually spherical. It has a slight but significant swelling around its equatorial region. This form is called the oblate spheroid. The form is said to derive from the rapid rotation of the planet.
Satellites and celestial bodies of Jupiter
Jupiter has huge natural satellites 67 (moons). They include the four great Galilean moons discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610. It is said that the largest of them, Ganymede, has a larger diameter than that of the planet Mercury.
Rotation and revolution of the planet
Of all the planets in the solar system, Jupiter has the shortest rotation period, despite being the largest. Complete a rotation in a little less than 10 hours. The planet completes a revolution around the sun for every 11.86 revolution. This means that a ‘year’ in Jupiter is equivalent to 11.86 years on earth! Every day 398.9, it is overtaken by the earth as it orbits the sun.
Gravitational force of Jupiter
It is said that the gravitational force of Jupiter has an influence on the shape of the solar system, since the orbits of most of the planets are closer to its plane of deviation, and not to that of the sun (apart from that of Mercury) . It also controls numerous celestial bodies around the Lagrangian points.
Countless experts and scientists have shown interest in the planet, ranging from 15 th century, Galileo Galilei to NASA, currently the world’s largest space research organization based in the United States. Several researchers have found results that may vary. A common observation is the fact that currently, Jupiter cannot sustain human, animal or plant life.
