Jupiter, whose diameter allows it to be in first place in size in our solar system, has long been of interest to scientists. Its nature contains many unique nuances: the largest size and number of satellites, a significant magnetic field, a monstrous hurricane that has been raging for centuries. It is the superlatives of everything Jupiterian that makes experts try to unravel the mysteries of this planet.
Gas giant
Jupiter - a planet with a diameter of about 143,884 km at the equator - is located 778 million kilometers from our star. It is located in fifth place from the Sun, being a gas giant. The composition of Jupiter's atmosphere is very similar to our star, since most of it is hydrogen.
The planet is known to be covered by an ocean. Only not water - it contains rarefied hydrogen, which has a very high temperature.
The planet rotates so fast that the diameter of Jupiter at the equator is greatly extended. It is for this reason that incredibly strong storms rage in these areas. Therefore, the appearance of the planet looks impressive - it is surrounded by atmosphericflows of various colors. Atmospheric formations inside the clouds in the equatorial region are no less interesting - whirlwinds and hurricanes are born here. Some of them are so huge and strong that they have not stopped for more than 300 years. The most famous vortex is the Great Red Spot, which is larger than the Earth.
Jupiter has an incredibly powerful magnetic field. Its diameter is much larger than the planet itself. Partially, the boundaries of the field even go beyond the orbit of Saturn. It is currently believed to be over 650 million kilometers.
In recent years, scientists have come to grips with the study of this giant. Some of them believe that both the characteristics of the magnetic field and the size and composition of the planet make it a possible candidate for the new stars of our galaxy. They also find confirmation of their theory in the fact that the heat of the planet is not so much the reflected energy of the Sun, but rather its own, generated in the depths of Jupiter.
Sizes
The diameter and mass of Jupiter is incredibly huge. Everyone knows that the composition of the Sun is 99% of all matter in our system. But at the same time, the mass of Jupiter is only 1/1050 of the mass of the star. The giant is 318 times heavier than the Earth (1.9 × 10²⁷ kg). The radius of the gas giant is 71,400 km, which exceeds the same parameter of our planet by 11.2 times. Given how far away Jupiter is from us, its diameter cannot be measured exactly. Therefore, scientists admit that the difference in performance may be several hundred kilometers.
Satellites
UJupiter has many moons. Currently, 63 planetary units of various diameters have been discovered, however, scientists suggest that in fact there may be up to a hundred of them. The largest satellites are the so-called Galilean group: Io, Callisto, Europa and Ganymede. Even with good binoculars, these bodies can be observed. The remaining satellites are much smaller, among them there are even those whose radius does not exceed 4 kilometers. Most of these objects rotate at a considerable distance from the planet, without causing much interest from scientists.
Study
Jupiter, whose diameter has always made it a prominent cosmic body in the sky, has attracted the attention of astronomers for a very long time. Galileo was the first to do this in 1610. It was he who discovered the largest satellites of the giant and described its shape.
Currently, the most modern technology has been attracted to study Jupiter: devices are sent to it and studied using the most powerful telescopes, spectrometers and other scientific inventions.
The greatest contribution to the study of the planet was made by the apparatus "Galileo". He explored the gas giant and its moons for two years, becoming the first in history to orbit Jupiter. After the end of the mission, the apparatus was sent to the object under study, the extremely high pressure of which simply crushed it. This was done out of fear that the device, having used up its fuel supply, would fall on one of Jupiter's moons, bringing terrestrial microorganisms there.
Currently expected to arriveinterplanetary station "Juno", which has a large supply of fuel. It is planned that it will be located at a distance of up to 50 thousand kilometers from the planet, studying its structure, magnetic fields, gravity and other parameters. Scientists hope that this mission will allow them to learn more about the formation of Jupiter, the exact composition of its atmosphere, and so on. Well, we can only wait and hope for the success of this event.
