Earth. It’s our home. But it’s more like a tiny house than a mansion compared to the other planets orbiting our sun. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and even Mars are actually the smallest planets in the Solar System (excluding the dwarf planets). Although Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are all giant planets, Jupiter is by far the biggest. In fact, Jupiter’s mass is 2.5 times more than all the other planets in the Solar System… combined. Earth vs Jupiter: Here are some incredible facts about Jupiter when compared to Earth.
Earth vs Jupiter
From its massive size to its powerful magnetic fields, here’s why Jupiter one of the most interesting planets in our Solar System.
Jupiter Size Compared To Earth
Jupiter is a massive planet. It would take 1,321 Earths to match Jupiter’s volume. Actually, Jupiter is so big that you can see it without using a telescope. On a clear night, Jupiter can easily be seen with the naked eye. The hard part is finding it. Just use an AR app like Sky View to locate Jupiter.
Jupiter Moons: Jupiter Has More Moons Than Any Other Planet
Jupiter has more moons than any other planet in our Solar System. But the exact Jupiter moons number is tough to calculate. Some astronomers estimate that Jupiter has over 200 sizeable objects orbiting the gas giant. Of those objects, 4 of them are classified as major moons. In comparison, Earth only has 1 moon.
NERD NOTE: In 1610, Galileo Galilei, an Italian polymath, observed and published his discovery of the four largest moons of Jupiter. They are collectively known today as the Galilean Moons. But it was German astronomer Simon Marius who individually named the moons Io, Callisto, Europa, and Ganymede. Ganymede is the ninth-largest object in our Solar System, larger than planet Mercury and the only known moon to have its own magnetic field.
The Rotational Velocity Of Jupiter Is Very Fast
Jupiter is big, but it moves fast. The high-speed rotational velocity (28,148 mph) of Jupiter results in the following:
- Short Days: A day on Jupiter only lasts 10 hours.
- Bands: Jupiter’s bands create a striped pattern in its atmosphere. They are a result of gases and debris being put into motion. Each band has a different temperature and composition.
- Oval Shape: Jupiter is spinning so fast that it’s bulging at its equator and has a slight oval shape.
Jupiter Storms: Jupiter’s Atmosphere Is Very Stormy
One of Jupiter’s most well-known features is its red spot or red eye. That spot is actually a massive anticyclonic storm about 3x bigger than Earth. The storm has been going for hundreds or even thousands of years. The exact age of this storm isn’t known, but it was first discovered by Italian astronomer Giovanni Cassini in 1665.
Jupiter Has The Strongest Magnetic Field In The Solar System
On Earth, explorers have been using a compass to navigate for hundreds of years. Thanks to our magnetic field on Earth, a compass always points North. But trying to use a compass on Jupiter would be a waste of time. Due to its liquid metallic hydrogen core and storms containing conductive materials, Jupiter has the strongest magnetic field in the Solar System. It’s so strong that Jupiter actually has a magnetosphere surrounding the planet.
Earth And Jupiter
As individuals, our bodies occupy just a tiny little part in the universe. In the grand scheme of things, comparing the size of Earth and Jupiter definitely made me feel a little smaller and insignificant. How about you?
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