Just when we think we understand the gas giant, this celestial monster shatters our assumptions.
The secrets of the gas giant
Jupiter has been one of the greatest mysteries of our
solar system for centuries. Every time we thought we understood the gas giant,
this planet surprised us with its unpredictable and often hostile behavior. Its
mesmerizing storms with winds of up to 640 km/h and the mysterious metallic
oceans hidden in its core have puzzled scientists for years.
Join us on an extraordinary journey to delve into the depths of this enigmatic world and uncover its most recent secrets.
Jupiter: protective shield or threat to Earth?
The myth of the protective shield
For a long time, it was believed that Jupiter acted as a protective shield, safeguarding our planet from threats from outer space. Astronomers suggested that this was one of the reasons why life had the opportunity to evolve on Earth.
It was thought that Jupiter's immense gravity prevented long-period comets, which take millennia to orbit the Sun, from coming too close to Earth. However, recent discoveries cast doubt on Jupiter's role as celestial guardian.
The double edge of Jupiter's gravity
While the gas giant's gravitational forces prevent nearby space rocks from clumping together and forming a planet, they also influence asteroids, deflecting some toward the Sun and increasing the chances of collision with Earth.
An example of this is Lexell's comet, which in 1770
passed just a million kilometres from our planet, an extraordinary proximity on
an astronomical scale. Scientists believe that this comet initially came from
the confines of the solar system and had a close encounter with Jupiter that
redirected its trajectory towards Earth.
New simulations reveal a different picture
Thanks to advances in computing resources, scientists have been able to run more accurate simulations that include a larger number of short-period comets and near-Earth asteroids. These new simulations show that Jupiter’s influential gravity interacts with the asteroid belt, triggering gravitational resonances that remove rogue asteroids and redirect them toward the inner solar system.
If Jupiter had only one-fifth of its current mass, it
would still destabilize comets, but would lose the ability to knock many of
them out of the way, leading to a higher impact rate on Earth.
Water on Jupiter: a key to understanding its formation
The discovery of water vapor
In 1995, the Galileo spacecraft first detected water vapor in Jupiter's atmosphere. Recent data show that water makes up about 0.25% of the planet's atmosphere above the equator, a huge amount considering Jupiter's size.
Knowing how much water is locked up in Jupiter is crucial for scientists studying the formation of the solar system, since this gas giant was likely the first planet to form.
Water and lightning on Jupiter
The water in the gas giant's atmosphere is also the reason why Jupiter, like Earth, has its own mesmerizing displays of lightning — 100 times brighter than Earth's — and peculiar hailstorms.
In the past, lightning has been detected in the planet's water clouds, where water droplets collide with electrically charged ice crystals. But the Juno spacecraft has also detected faint lightning at higher altitudes in the atmosphere, where temperatures are too cold for liquid water to exist.
Ammonia, Jupiter's natural antifreeze
The answer to this mystery lies in ammonia, an extraordinary component of Jupiter's atmosphere that acts as a natural antifreeze in the upper atmosphere. Water ice crystals combine with ammonia vapors and melt. These water and ammonia droplets then collide with other ice crystals from below, creating an electrical charge that generates lightning.
Exploring Jupiter's core: oceans of liquid metallic hydrogen?
The mystery of the Jovian core
It was once believed that all giant worlds in our solar system had a rocky core. However, recent discoveries have uncovered an unexpected mystery lurking in the core of the gas giant.
In the depths of Jupiter, only 18% of the material is rocky. Hydrogen, which accounts for about 90% of its composition, along with 10% helium and traces of other elements, predominates on this planet.
Liquid metallic hydrogen, a unique substance
As you descend deeper into Jupiter, increasing
atmospheric pressure transforms hydrogen into a unique form known as liquid
metallic hydrogen. This substance has properties similar to water, with low
viscosity, excellent electrical conductivity and efficient thermal conduction.
Inside Jupiter, this abundant substance turns the planet into a huge generator. There is a theory that Jupiter's core could be filled with vast oceans of liquid metallic hydrogen, which would explain its colossal magnetic field, the largest in our solar system.
The Great Blue Spot: A Second Magnetic Pole on Jupiter
Jupiter's volatile magnetic field
Exploring regions more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) deep in Jupiter's atmosphere, scientists have identified a new region known as the Great Blue Spot, not to be confused with the famous Great Red Spot.
Unlike Earth's bipolar magnetic field, Jupiter's magnetic field originates in a wide area of the Northern Hemisphere and re-enters near the South Pole. In addition, researchers have identified a concentrated region just south of the Equator, the Great Blue Spot, which acts as a second Jovian South Pole located near the Equator.
Magnetic fluctuations and connection with the Great Red Spot
The Great Blue Spot's magnetic field strength fluctuates by up to 1% per year, strengthening and weakening in different regions. Since the Great Blue Spot and the Great Red Spot are located at the same latitude, it is possible that the two phenomena are somehow connected.
By the end of the extended Juno mission in 2025, scientists will have enough evidence to test their hypotheses about this intriguing mystery.
The Great Cold Spot: A Vortex Triggered by Auroras
A region of extremely low temperatures
In addition to the famous Great Red Spot, Jupiter also has other intriguing spots, such as the Great Cold Spot. This atmospheric feature stands out for being a region of significantly colder temperatures, about 200 degrees Celsius colder than the surrounding atmosphere.
The connection with the jovial auroras
Scientists have discovered that the recurrence of this
phenomenon is caused by the planet's auroras. Due to this correlation, the age
of the Spot is approximately the same as that of Jupiter's polar lights, i.e.
thousands of years.
Jupiter's auroras, similar to those on Earth but more stable and intense, transfer energy to the planet's atmosphere, creating a temperature difference between the upper and lower regions. This temperature contrast leads to the formation of a swirling vortex that gives rise to the coldest spot.
Jupiter does not orbit the Sun
Contrary to popular belief, Jupiter does not orbit the Sun. The center of gravity between Jupiter and the Sun does not reside in the Sun itself, but is located at a specific point just above its surface in space.
Because of its immense size, the center of mass, known as the barycenter, exists 1.07 solar radii away from the center of the Sun, approximately 7% of a solar radius above the Sun's surface. This means that both the Sun and Jupiter orbit around this particular point in space.
As the journey of discovery continues, Jupiter's enigmatic depths hold even more surprises to unravel. Stay tuned to be the first to witness the newly discovered cosmic wonders.
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