History UsefulNotes / Jupiter

When the Voyager space probes passed by Jupiter in TheSeventies, they discovered that the planet had rings, similar to the rings of UsefulNotes/{{Saturn}} or Uranus. These rings are invisible from the Earth, since the ring plane is tilted edge-on to the ecliptic. The ring system is also far less spectacular than the rings of Saturn; Jupiter has 4 rings, but Saturn has ''thousands''.

* Number of Moons: 79

In the future, when the Sun expands into a red giant, Jupiter will survive the ensuing chaos alongside the other gas giants, plus Mars as the likely sole surviving representative of the inner planets. In the distant future, well into the Sun's post-life phase as a white dwarf, Jupiter will still be there, loyal as ever, likely to stay in orbit until it is either ejected or 'stolen' by a passing star. The recent discovery of exoplanet MOA-2010-BLG-477L b, a Jupiter-sized world orbiting a white dwarf around 7500 light years from Earth, lends credence to this idea, as it orbits its parent star at just under half the distance Jupiter does to the Sun, and must have survived its parent's evolution to be able to continue on its way unimpeded.

Jupiter is believed to be the first of the planets to form from the Sun’s accretion disk, and along with the other giant planets will likely remain with the Sun long into tots future, given that it orbits at a distance well out of the way of the Sun’s outer edges when it will enter its red giant phase. Jupiter’s relative head start is believed to have come about because its formation occurred on or around the young solar system’s ‘snow line’, where water and other volatiles could condense into ice and dust without being evaporated by the infant sun. This early formation allowed Jupiter free reign to gather more material and grow into its present size, but led to an event in which the planet almost dashed the chances of Earth (and by extension, humanity) from ever existing…

At one point in the early history of the Solar System, Jupiter embarked on a rampage through the inner solar system, hypothesized as part of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Tack_Hypothesis Grand Tack Hypothesis]], migrating inward from 3.5 AU to 1.5 AU, before being pulled back to its present location thanks to an orbital resonance with Saturn. Jupiter's immense gravity probably stunted UsefulNotes/{{Mars}} by starving it of material when Jupiter migrated towards the Sun, when it should have gotten as big as Earth and UsefulNotes/{{Venus}}, and when it migrated back out thanks to Saturn, kept another planet from forming where the main asteroid belt is now.[[note]]One application of the Grand Tack theory is that this missing planet is the dwarf planet [[UsefulNotes/DwarfPlanets Ceres]], and that as Jupiter passed close to its position, it plundered most of the material in Ceres' accretion disk, preventing its further development into a full-sized planet.[[/note]] This migration also pushed UsefulNotes/{{Uranus}} and UsefulNotes/{{Neptune}} into their distant orbits, along with making them switch places (Uranus was originally the outermost planet). There's a strong possibility that this also ejected a planet from the Solar System, there's evidence[[note]]a lithium spot on the Sun[[/note]] another gas giant plunged into the Sun[[note]]The recent Grand Tack Theory also proposes that after migrating inward to Mars' distance to the Sun (1.5 A. U.), Jupiter messed with both the asteroid belt and the young rocky planets forming there, with the destinies of each of them forever tied to Jupiter's rampage after it migrated out to its present orbit under the effects of Saturn's pull[[/note]], and a growing body of evidence[[note]]the bizarre orbital configurations of certain trans-Neptunian objects, some of which stumped astronomers for years[[/note]] that yet another ice giant, or at least the solid object that would have otherwise become the core of an ice giant, was launched into the outer solar system beyond the Kuiper Belt. This is also why there's no "super-Earths" in the Solar System, despite them being far more common in alien solar systems than Earth-sized bodies.[[note]]As far as we know; Earth-sized planets are much harder to detect. But many of the solar systems that have been analyzed so far have configurations of larger planets that would render an Earth-sized planet impossible on account to how close the larger planets are to their stars.[[/note]] That's not all. The Grand Tack Theory also shows that Jupiter pushed icy material from the outer Solar System into the inner, giving Earth a massive amount of water, a lot of it on the surface, but most of it located 300 miles under the crust. Venus and Mars also received that gift, but they were unable to keep their water for various reasons.

The surface gravity[[note]](which is defined as the force of gravity at its cloud tops, as Jupiter is not yet known to have a solid surface)[[/note]] on Jupiter is 2.53 g, which is 2.5x stronger than Earth. Jupiter has by far the strongest surface gravity out of any planet in the Solar System with only the Sun giving it a run for its money. If you could stand on Jupiter, it would be the equivalent of being morbidly obese on Earth but without the body fat. Not exactly crushing but still unpleasant to move around in the long run.

Its gravity probably stunted UsefulNotes/{{Mars}} by starving it of material when Jupiter migrated towards the Sun, when it should have gotten as big as Earth and UsefulNotes/{{Venus}}, and when it migrated back out thanks to Saturn, kept another planet from forming where the main asteroid belt is now.[[note]]One application of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Tack_Hypothesis Grand Tack theory]] is that this missing planet is the dwarf planet [[UsefulNotes/DwarfPlanets Ceres]], and that as Jupiter passed close to its position, it plundered most of the material in Ceres' accretion disk, preventing its further development into a full-sized planet.[[/note]] This migration also pushed UsefulNotes/{{Uranus}} and UsefulNotes/{{Neptune}} into their distant orbits, along with making them switch places (Uranus was originally the outermost planet). There's a strong possibility that this also ejected a planet from the Solar System, there's evidence[[note]]a lithium spot on the Sun[[/note]] another gas giant plunged into the Sun[[note]]The recent Grand Tack Theory also proposes that after migrating inward to Mars' distance to the Sun (1.5 A. U.), Jupiter messed with both the asteroid belt and the young rocky planets forming there, with the destinies of each of them forever tied to Jupiter's rampage after it migrated out to its present orbit under the effects of Saturn's pull[[/note]], and a growing body of evidence[[note]]the bizarre orbital configurations of certain trans-Neptunian objects, some of which stumped astronomers for years[[/note]] that yet another ice giant, or at least the solid object that would have otherwise become the core of an ice giant, was launched into the outer solar system beyond the Kuiper Belt. This is also why there's no "super-Earths" in the Solar System, despite them being far more common in alien solar systems than Earth-sized bodies.[[note]]As far as we know; Earth-sized planets are much harder to detect. But many of the solar systems that have been analyzed so far have configurations of larger planets that would render an Earth-sized planet impossible on account to how close the larger planets are to their stars.[[/note]] That's not all. The Grand Tack Theory also shows that Jupiter pushed icy material from the outer Solar System into the inner, giving Earth a massive amount of water, a lot of it on the surface, but most of it located 300 miles under the crust. Venus and Mars also received that gift, but they were unable to keep their water for various reasons.

The biggest gas giant in UsefulNotes/{{the Solar System}}, massing over 300 times more than Earth. Jupiter's mass is so great as to single-handedly pull the center of gravity for the entire Solar System into the empty space beyond the Sun's surface. It's mostly hydrogen and helium, although various other compounds provide its colorful bands and storms, and scientists believe a rocky core sits at its center. Its most prominent surface feature is called [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the Great Red Spot]], in some works a source of NightmareFuel for the colonists based on Jupiter's moons due to its eye-like appearance. It's an anticyclone, a whirling storm 3 times as big across as the Earth that according to [[https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasas-juno-probes-the-depths-of-jupiters-great-red-spot/ recent data]] extends relatively deep into Jupiter. Much of the energy for its weather appears to come from the very slow contraction of the planet.

Its gravity probably stunted UsefulNotes/{{Mars}} by starving it of material when Jupiter migrated towards the Sun, when it should have gotten as big as Earth and UsefulNotes/{{Venus}}, and when it migrated back out thanks to Saturn, kept another planet from forming where the main asteroid belt is now. This migration also pushed UsefulNotes/{{Uranus}} and UsefulNotes/{{Neptune}} into their distant orbits, along with making them switch places (Uranus was originally the outermost planet). There's a strong possibility that this also ejected a planet from the Solar System, there's evidence[[note]]a lithium spot on the Sun[[/note]] another gas giant plunged into the Sun[[note]]The recent [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Tack_Hypothesis Grand Tack theory]] proposes Jupiter either formed in the vicinity of, or could have migrated inward to Mars' distance to the Sun (1.5 A. U.), messing with both the asteroid belt and the young rocky planets forming there, with the destinies of each of them forever tied to Jupiter's rampage after it migrated out to its present orbit under the effects of Saturn's pull[[/note]], and a growing body of evidence[[note]]the bizarre orbital configurations of certain trans-Neptunian objects, some of which stumped astronomers for years[[/note]] that yet another ice giant, or at least the solid object that would have otherwise become the core of an ice giant, was launched into the outer solar system beyond the Kuiper Belt. This is also why there's no "super-Earths" in the Solar System, despite them being far more common in alien solar systems than Earth-sized bodies.[[note]]As far as we know; Earth-sized planets are much harder to detect. But many of the solar systems that have been analyzed so far have configurations of larger planets that would render an Earth-sized planet impossible on account to how close the larger planets are to their stars.[[/note]] That's not all. The Grand Tack Theory also shows that Jupiter pushed icy material from the outer Solar System into the inner, giving Earth a massive amount of water, a lot of it on the surface, but most of it located 300 miles under the crust. Venus and Mars also received that gift, but they were unable to keep their water for various reasons.

Its gravity probably stunted UsefulNotes/{{Mars}} by starving it of material when Jupiter migrated towards the Sun, when it should have gotten as big as Earth and UsefulNotes/{{Venus}}, and when it migrated back out thanks to Saturn, kept another planet from forming where the main asteroid belt is now. This migration also pushed UsefulNotes/{{Uranus}} and UsefulNotes/{{Neptune}} into their distant orbits, along with making them switch places (Uranus was originally the outermost planet). There's a strong possibility that this also ejected a planet from the Solar System, there's evidence[[note]]a lithium spot on the Sun[[/note]] another gas giant plunged into the Sun[[note]]The recent [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Tack_Hypothesis Grand Tack theory]] proposes Jupiter could have migrated inward to Mars' distance to the Sun (1.5 A. U.), messing with both the asteroid belt and any planets that could have formed there, with the current terrestrial planets forming of what was left after it migrated outward.[[/note]], and a growing body of evidence[[note]]the bizarre orbital configurations of certain trans-Neptunian objects, some of which stumped astronomers for years[[/note]] that yet another ice giant, or at least the solid object that would have otherwise become the core of an ice giant, was launched into the outer solar system beyond the Kuiper Belt. This is also why there's no "super-Earths" in the Solar System, despite them being far more common in alien solar systems than Earth-sized bodies.[[note]]As far as we know; Earth-sized planets are much harder to detect. But many of the solar systems that have been analyzed so far have configurations of larger planets that would render an Earth-sized planet impossible on account to how close the larger planets are to their stars.[[/note]] That's not all. The Grand Tack Theory also shows that Jupiter pushed icy material from the outer Solar System into the inner, giving Earth a massive amount of water, a lot of it on the surface, but most of it located 300 miles under the crust. Venus and Mars also received that gift, but they were unable to keep their water for various reasons.

Also known as UsefulNotes/{{Earth}}'s Big Brother. The planet has been known to Earth observers since antiquity, as it is clearly visible in the night sky.

Also known as UsefulNotes/{{Earth}}'s Big Brother.

Jupiter's magnetic field is much stronger than Earth's, and its magnetosphere is larger than the Sun. How big? If it were visible, it would be larger than the Moon from our perspective — and it ''reaches UsefulNotes/{{Saturn}}''. Unlike in Earth's magnetosphere, where most of the energy and material comes from the solar wind, Jupiter's magnetosphere gets most of its material from Io's volcanoes, which release gas that is stripped off the moon and ionized, and energized by Jupiter's rotation. Jupiter's magnetosphere is home to extremely strong radiation belts, a plasma torus following the orbit of Io, and radio emissions. The aurorae of Jupiter are unusual in being powered more by the planet's rotation (through the magnetosphere plasma) than by solar wind. Jupiter's moons produce their own "auroral spots" on Jupiter, by interacting with the magnetosphere and sending currents into the atmosphere. Said belts are also ''very nasty'' for the electronics of the spacecrafts that pass through them[[note]]Explaining why the ''Juno'' probe, currently orbiting Jupiter, has all its electronics within a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juno_Radiation_Vault large titanium box]][[/note]] (and especially to future human missions to Jupiter as they bathe the rings and moons up to [[UsefulNotes/TheMoonsOfJupiter Ganymede]]'s orbit in more than enough radiation to kill a human — several times from Europa inwards-).

* Density: 1.326 g/cm3

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Jupiter_9475.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:King of the Planets]]

Its gravity probably stunted UsefulNotes/{{Mars}} by starving it of material when Jupiter migrated towards the Sun, when it should have gotten as big as Earth and UsefulNotes/{{Venus}}, and when it migrated back out thanks to Saturn, kept another planet from forming where the main asteroid belt is now. This migration also pushed UsefulNotes/{{Uranus}} and UsefulNotes/{{Neptune}} into their distant orbits, along with making them switch places (Uranus was originally the outermost planet). There's a strong possibility that this also ejected a planet from the Solar System, there's evidence[[note]]a lithium spot on the Sun[[/note]] another gas giant plunged into the Sun[[note]]The recent [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Tack_Hypothesis Grand Tack theory]] proposes Jupiter could have migrated inward to Mars' distance to the Sun (1.5 A. U.), messing with both the asteroid belt and any planets that could have formed there, with the current terrestrial planets forming of what was left after it migrated outward.[[/note]], and a growing body of evidence[[note]]the bizarre orbital configurations of certain trans-Neptunian objects, some of which stumped astronomers for years[[/note]] that yet another ice giant, or at least the solid object that would have otherwise become the core of an ice giant, was launched into the outer solar system beyond the Kuiper Belt. This is also why there's no "super-Earths" in the Solar System, despite them being far more common in alien solar systems than Earth-sized bodies. That's not all. The Grand Tack Theory also shows that Jupiter pushed icy material from the outer Solar System into the inner, giving Earth a massive amount of water, a lot of it on the surface, but most of it located 300 miles under the crust. Venus and Mars also received that gift, but they were unable to keep their water for various reasons.

It's thought that below the visible clouds, whose depth is of around just 50 kilometers and where exist thunderstorms far more powerful than anything Earth's atmosphere can bring on, the atmosphere as both pressure and temperature increase transitions smoothly into a sort of global ocean of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metallic_hydrogen metallic hydrogen]] (see quote that begins this article) surrouding a large core of rock and ice.