Jupiter
29 questions tagged Jupiter — spanning every one of the seven Ws.
Why does Jupiter have such a giant storm like the Great Red Spot?
Jupiter’s rapid rotation and deep, turbulent atmosphere help storms persist for a long time. The Great Red Spot is a massive high-pressure system that has likely lasted for centuries.
Why does Jupiter have such strong gravity?
Jupiter is the largest planet by far and contains more mass than all the other planets combined. More mass means stronger gravity at and around the planet.
When was the first spacecraft to visit Jupiter?
Pioneer 10 became the first spacecraft to fly by Jupiter in 1973.
When was the first spacecraft to orbit Jupiter?
Galileo entered orbit around Jupiter in 1995, becoming the first spacecraft to do so.
Where is Jupiter’s Great Red Spot located?
The Great Red Spot is in Jupiter’s southern hemisphere. It is a giant storm that has been observed for at least 150 years.
Whose discovery revealed the first moon of another planet?
Galileo Galilei discovered Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto in January 1610. These were the first known moons of any planet besides Earth’s Moon.
Whose observations led to the discovery of the Great Red Spot on Jupiter?
Robert Hooke described a large spot on Jupiter in 1664, and Giovanni Cassini later observed a long-lived storm there. The Great Red Spot has been tracked for centuries.
How do scientists think Jupiter formed so quickly in the early Solar System?
The leading idea is that a large solid core formed first and then rapidly captured gas from the solar nebula. Jupiter likely became the biggest planet before the Sun’s gas disk disappeared.
How does Jupiter generate so much of its own heat?
Jupiter still radiates more energy than it receives from the Sun because it is slowly shrinking and releasing internal heat. This leftover heat helps drive its powerful weather and storms.
How do Jupiter’s strong magnetic fields trap charged particles around the planet?
Jupiter’s magnetic field captures charged particles and channels them into intense radiation belts. The planet’s rapid spin and metallic hydrogen interior help create this giant magnetosphere.
Why is Jupiter’s Great Red Spot shrinking?
The Great Red Spot is a storm fed by Jupiter’s turbulent atmosphere, but its size has declined over the last century as its dynamics change.
Why does Jupiter have such powerful storms, including the Great Red Spot?
Jupiter’s rapid rotation, deep atmosphere, and internal heat drive strong jet streams and long-lived storms that can persist for centuries.
What is the Great Red Spot on Jupiter?
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is a giant storm larger than Earth that has been observed for centuries.
When was the Great Red Spot on Jupiter first recorded?
The Great Red Spot was first recorded in 1665.
Which planet has the strongest gravity at the cloud tops?
Jupiter has the strongest gravity at the cloud tops among the planets, with surface gravity about 2.5 times Earth's. A person would weigh far more there than on Earth.
Which planet has the most visible cloud bands?
Jupiter has the most striking cloud bands, with alternating light zones and dark belts wrapping around the planet. These patterns are driven by fast jet streams in its atmosphere.
Which planet has the largest known storm?
Jupiter has the largest known long-lived storm in the Solar System, the Great Red Spot. The storm is larger than Earth, though it has been shrinking over time.
Whose mission first discovered active volcanoes on Io, one of Jupiter's moons?
That discovery came from Voyager 1 in 1979. It was the first spacecraft to see active volcanism on a world other than Earth.
Whose mission first found that Jupiter has a faint ring system?
That was Voyager 1 in 1979. It discovered Jupiter's rings during its flyby of the planet.
Whose spacecraft first photographed Jupiter's Great Red Spot in close detail?
That was NASA's Voyager 1 in 1979. Its flyby produced the first detailed close-up images of the Great Red Spot.
How does Jupiter's Great Red Spot stay together for so long?
It is a gigantic storm powered by Jupiter’s fast rotation, jet streams, and internal heat, and it has lasted at least since the 1800s.
Why is Jupiter so much bigger than the rocky planets?
Jupiter formed early and far from the Sun, where there was plenty of gas and ice for it to accumulate. Its core grew large enough to capture huge amounts of hydrogen and helium.
Why does Jupiter have such powerful storms?
Jupiter's fast rotation, deep atmosphere and internal heat drive enormous weather systems. The planet emits more heat than it receives from the Sun.
Why does Jupiter have faint rings when Saturn is famous for its rings?
Jupiter's rings are made of dust, not ice, and are much harder to see. They were discovered by Voyager 1 in 1979.
When was the first spacecraft sent to Jupiter?
The first spacecraft to fly by Jupiter was NASA’s Pioneer 10, which launched on 3 March 1972.
Where is Jupiter’s Great Red Spot found?
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is in the planet’s southern hemisphere. It is a giant storm that has raged for centuries.
Where are Jupiter’s faint rings located?
Jupiter’s rings encircle the planet near its equator. They are faint, dusty, and were discovered by the Voyager 1 spacecraft in 1979.
Which planet has the biggest known storm in the Solar System?
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is the biggest known storm in the Solar System. It has been observed for at least 150 years and is larger than Earth.
Whose discovery showed that Jupiter emits more heat than it receives from the Sun?
Frank B. Dyson and later radio and infrared observations established Jupiter’s internal heat, but the classic early evidence came from Rupert Wildt’s and later planetary studies in the 20th century. The key result is that Jupiter radiates significantly more energy than it gets from sunlight.