Jupiter Case
Essay by people • November 6, 2011 • Case Study • 407 Words (2 Pages) • 1,644 Views
Jupiter
Jupiter, the Jovian Monster is the largest planet within our solar system. It is positioned between Mars and Saturn the fifth planet, just outside the terrestrial planetary belt. Jupiter's size in comparison to the Earth is so immense that it would equal about 1000 Earth's in relation. Jupiter's size is 71,492km and Earth is 63.78km.
Jupiter's planetary makeup is mostly hydrogen and helium consistant with the characteristic of other Jovian planets impossible for inhabitance. Jupiter is also famously known for a continuous high-pressure storm system that has been going on well over a hundred years called the Great Red Spot. This continuous storm covers about 12,000 miles worth of area, which is about two to three times the size of Earth. Jupiter also has 63 moons and thin sets of rings, can be faintly seen in some photos. Most moons in Jupiter's atmosphere are very small, but there are 4 moons which astronomers focus on the most. They are the Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. These moons are also referred to as the Galilean Moon's; because of the discovery made shortly after Galileo's first ever telescope observation.
Jupiter cloud top temperature is about 125k and has the greatest gravitational pull than any of the other planets in the solar system. Jupiter's orbit around the sun takes 11.9 years, it's rotation period is 9.93 hours with an axis tilt of 3.1 degrees. To travel from Jupiter to the sun would take 5.20 AU's. Jupiter's atmosphere is also considered the great vacuum in the sky. The gravitational pull is so strong pulling, slinging, and flinging objects, meteors, and debris in space and within its atmosphere cleaning the solar system and protecting the orbital paths of other planets like Earth.
Jupiter through out history has been a symbol of Roman Greek mythology, known as the king of the gods. Also religious references, as the star of David. Interestingly around 3000 BC Jupiter and Venus aligned together appearing to be one big star. Jupiter lacks the size but has atmospheric structure of a star. This planetary giant is my favorite planet because of its size and importance to the solar system.
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