Articles tagged with Jupiter
Researchers have uncovered significant trends in hot Jupiters' atmospheres, including dramatic temperature swings and the presence of metallic elements. The study's findings provide valuable insights into the evolution of our solar system and offer a better understanding of exoplanet populations.
SwRI scientists studied particle population and auroral emissions on Jupiter, confirming a decade-old theory that electrons accelerated in both directions create the multi-spot dance of auroral footprints. The research also provided insights into the interaction between Ganymede's magnetic field and Jupiter's massive magnetosphere.
Dr Henrik Melin, a researcher at the University of Leicester, has been awarded the third-ever Webb Fellowship to study the atmospheres of giant planets using the James Webb Space Telescope. He aims to understand the mechanisms driving powerful aurorae on these planets and address the 'energy crisis' in their upper atmospheres.
Researchers discovered a complex relationship between Jupiter's magnetic field, volcanic activity on its moon Io, and the planet's powerful aurorae. The study revealed an electromagnetic 'tug-of-war' lights up aurorae in Jupiter's upper atmosphere.
Researchers have discovered a giant gas planet, TOI-2180 b, with a diameter comparable to Jupiter's and a mass nearly three times that of Earth. The planet is also believed to contain 105 times the mass of elements heavier than helium and hydrogen.
The study reveals that the region within Io's orbit is dominated by oxygen and sulfur ions, with oxygen prevailing among the two. Further inward, within Amalthea's orbit, oxygen ion concentration increases unexpectedly.
Researchers analyzed images from NASA's Juno spacecraft to study the forces driving cyclones on Jupiter. Moist convection drives an upscale energy transfer at Jovian high latitudes.
Astronomers have discovered an ultrahot Jupiter, TOI-2109b, with a record-breaking 16-hour orbit. The planet is estimated to be around 5 times the size of Jupiter and has a day side temperature of approximately 3,500 Kelvin.
Jupiter's banded pattern extends deep beneath the clouds, and the appearance of its belts and zones inverts near the base of the water clouds. The planet's microwave emissions reveal a transition zone between five and 10 bars, where the zones become bright and the belts dark.
The discovery suggests a long-term presence of a water vapor atmosphere only in Europa's trailing hemisphere. This finding advances our understanding of the atmospheres of icy moons and paves the way for future studies of Europa by probes like NASA's Europa Clipper mission.
Scientists propose sending a spacecraft to Jupiter to observe centaur objects becoming comets, providing insights into the solar system's dynamics and composition. This unique opportunity could reveal the chemical makeup of comets and shed light on how Earth-like planets form.
The discovery of ionized calcium on the exoplanet WASP-76b suggests that its atmospheric temperature is higher than previously thought or that it has very strong upper atmosphere winds. The research findings are from a multiyear project exploring the diversity of planetary atmospheres using high-resolution spectra obtained with Gemini ...
Researchers propose that giant hailstones called mushballs carry ammonia deep into the atmospheres of ice giants Uranus and Neptune, hiding it from detection. This process could explain the unexpected lack of ammonia in their atmospheres compared to other planets.
A team of scientists assembled observations from NASA's Juno spacecraft, W.M. Keck Observatory, and Japan's Hisaki satellite to discover the source of Jupiter's thermal boost. They found that Jupiter's intense aurora is responsible for heating the entire planet's upper atmosphere, contrary to previous models.
A research team has explained the cause of Jupiter's X-ray aurorae, a phenomenon puzzling scientists for decades. The study found that heavy ions with mega-electron volt energies produce the auroral flares, triggered by magnetic compression and electromagnetic waves in Jupiter's magnetosphere.
Scientists at Stanford University have developed a technique using solar radio signals to measure the depth of ice sheets and glaciers, which could lead to large-scale insight into melting ice sheets and sea-level rise. The passive radar system uses naturally occurring radio waves from the sun to detect changes in ice thickness.
Researchers have solved a decades-old mystery as to how Jupiter produces spectacular bursts of X-rays every few minutes. The X-rays are triggered by periodic vibrations of Jupiter's magnetic field lines, creating waves of plasma that send charged particles towards the planet's atmosphere.
A team of researchers has discovered that Jupiter's polar cap is threaded with both open and closed magnetic field lines, contradicting the long-held assumption of all lines being either open or closed. This finding reveals a complex topology of Jupiter's magnetosphere, raising new questions about its interaction with the solar wind.
A new study tracks the life cycle of Jupiter's auroras, which evolve in a pattern reminiscent of Earth's auroral substorms. The storms emit hundreds of Gigawatts of ultraviolet light as they rotate from night side to day side.
A wayward comet-like object has been spotted near a family of captured ancient asteroids, called Trojans, orbiting the Sun alongside Jupiter. The object shows signs of comet activity, such as a tail, outgassing, and an enshrouding coma of dust and gas.
Scientists have imaged a rare bolide, an extremely bright meteoroid explosion, in Jupiter's upper atmosphere using the Ultraviolet Spectrograph on board the Juno spacecraft. The event was observed for just 17 milliseconds and had distinct spectral characteristics different from the planet's auroras.
The Roman mission will use microlensing to detect exoplanets in the Milky Way galaxy, uncovering thousands of worlds similar to those in our solar system. The survey will also reveal extreme planets and planet-like bodies, including hot Jupiters and brown dwarfs, thanks to their gravitational tug on stars.
Researchers found that WASP-107b's massive gas envelope could form easily with a less massive core than previously thought, contradicting classical models of gas-giant planet formation. The discovery has significant implications for our understanding of exoplanet formation and the variety of planets in the universe.
A University of Arizona-led research team discovered bands and stripes on the closest brown dwarf to Earth, hinting at processes churning its atmosphere. The findings reveal high-speed winds running parallel to equators, mixing atmospheres and redistributing heat.
Researchers have found a new network of routes that can transport spacecraft and comets at unprecedented speeds, reaching Jupiter's distance in under a decade. The 'celestial autobahn' or 'celestial highway' acts on several decades, allowing for faster exploration and monitoring of near-Earth objects.
A team of scientists, led by Matt Clement, used simulations to study the formation of Jupiter and Saturn. The findings suggest that these two planets were originally closer together than previously thought, with a ratio of two Jupiter orbits to one Saturnian orbit being more consistent with the current configuration.
Astronomers have found compelling evidence that planets start to form while infant stars are still growing. The ALMA radio observatory has captured a high-resolution image of the proto-star IRS 63 with multiple gaps and rings of dust, indicating that seeds of planets are forming in these cosmic cradles.
A team of astronomers used ALMA to capture radio images of Io during eclipses, showing the direct effect of volcanic activity on its atmosphere. They found that active volcanoes produce 30-50 percent of Io's atmosphere, with potassium chloride also present in volcanic regions.
A study by UCR astrobiologist Stephen Kane suggests that Venus was likely habitable a billion years ago due to its more circular orbit. The findings could provide insights into how the Earth became habitable and what went wrong for Venus, which now has surface temperatures of up to 800 degrees Fahrenheit.
Researchers found that Jupiter's storms behave similarly to hurricanes on Earth but with a much larger scale. The team used math derived from Lord Kelvin's proof to explain the storms' stable geometric arrangement, discovering anticyclonic rings cause them to repel each other.
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured a crisp new image of Jupiter's storms, revealing a bright white plume traveling around the planet at 350 miles per hour. The Great Red Spot, currently an exceptionally rich red color, is shrinking in size and appears to be interacting with surrounding clouds.
Astronomers have detected a Jupiter-sized planet, TOI-1899 b, orbiting a low-mass star, providing insights into the formation of giant planets. The discovery was made possible by the Habitable-zone Planet Finder spectrograph and offers a unique opportunity to study the properties of warm Jupiters.
Researchers discovered that moon-moon interactions may be responsible for more tidal heating than Jupiter alone, potentially leading to the melting of ice or rock internally. The study suggests that tidal resonance occurs when tides generated by other objects in the system match a moon's resonant frequency, resulting in increased heating.
A new study of rare meteorites shows that material from close to the Sun reached the outer solar system even after Jupiter cleared a gap in the disk of dust and gas. This finding challenges the long-held consensus theory on planet formation and provides insights into how planets form around other stars.
A numerical model recreates Jupiter's polygonal vortex patterns, revealing the importance of shielding and vortex depths. The study suggests that further research is needed to understand why these patterns persist on Jupiter but not on other large gas giants.
Researchers reanalyzed image data from Voyager 1, 2 and Galileo spacecraft to investigate orientation and distribution of ancient tectonic troughs on Ganymede. A computer simulation suggests that the giant crater could have resulted from an asteroid impact with a radius of 150km.
Scientists have unexpectedly found lightning in Jupiter's upper atmosphere, with ammonia playing a crucial role. The discovery reveals a complex atmosphere that challenges previous predictions, indicating an unexpected process causing the phenomenon.
The James Webb Space Telescope will conduct pioneering observations of Jupiter, its ring system, and two intriguing moons Ganymede and Io. The study aims to investigate the moon's interaction with particles in Jupiter's magnetic field and its potential liquid saltwater ocean beneath its thick surface ice.
Researchers found that Europa's ocean could have been formed by tidal forces or radioactive decay, leading to a potentially habitable environment. The team's models suggest that the ocean's composition became more Earth-like, with high concentrations of carbon dioxide and calcium, making it suitable for life.
Numerical simulations suggest asteroids Ryugu and Bennu may have formed from the disruption of a single parent asteroid. Analysis of return samples will verify this by measuring their composition and determining their formation age.
A new model predicts the most common type of cloud on hot Jupiters, which should consist of liquid or solid silicate droplets. The study also finds that clouds can block observations of gases beneath them, hindering research on exoplanet formation and life.
The ATLAS telescope has discovered an asteroid that exhibits cometary behavior, including a tail of dust or gas, near Jupiter's orbit. This finding challenges the long-held assumption that Jupiter Trojan asteroids should not display cometary characteristics.
The Gemini North telescope has collected some of the highest resolution images of Jupiter ever obtained from the ground, complementing Hubble observations to reveal details about Jovian weather. The images show that lightning strikes and giant storm systems are formed in large convective cells over deep clouds of water ice and liquid.
The collaboration provides new insights into Jupiter's turbulent weather, including the association of lightning outbreaks with specific cloud structures. The team maps lightning flashes onto optical images, revealing a three-way combination of clouds and clear regions that facilitate convection and energy release.
Astronomers have improved a mathematical model to accurately gauge the temperatures of planets from solar systems hundreds of light-years away. This new model allows scientists to gather data on an exoplanet's molecular chemistry, gaining insight into the cosmos' planetary beginnings.
Researchers have successfully measured wind speed on a brown dwarf, an object intermediate in mass between a planet and a star. The study found that the brown dwarf's atmosphere is rotating faster than its interior, with a calculated wind speed of about 1425 miles per hour.
Researchers suggest a ring-like structure in the early solar system may have created a compositional dichotomy between terrestrial and jovian planets. This division may have led to the presence of organic molecules on Earth, supporting life.
A Princeton-led team of astrophysicists has shown that WASP-12b, a 'hot Jupiter' exoplanet, is spiraling inward toward its host star due to tidal forces. This process converts the planet's orbital energy into heat within the star, causing it to dissipate rapidly.
Researchers say Jupiter's Great Red Spot has not changed in size or intensity despite shrinking clouds. The flaking of familiar vortex is considered a very natural state and not an indication of the spot's demise.
Researchers analyzed data from Galileo's 1995 fireball and found the recession rate exceeded predictions, highlighting issues with current heat shield models. New fluid dynamics models using faster computers and data from the probe have led to a better understanding of atmospheric entry vehicles.
Researchers suggest an unseen population of gas giants orbiting nearby Sun-like stars, awaiting detection. New models support the disk instability mechanism, challenging the core accretion method.
New study reveals that the temperatures on the dark sides of hot Jupiters are remarkably uniform, suggesting the presence of clouds made of minerals and rocks. This discovery could provide insights into cloud formation elsewhere in the universe, including on Earth.
Research reveals that storm clouds on Jupiter affect the planet's white zones and colorful belts, changing their flow and even altering their colors. The study tracked the effects of these storms using coordinated observations from six telescopes and NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.
A colossal collision between Jupiter and a still-forming planet may have stirred up the core, altering its density and composition. Researchers suggest this event could explain Juno's puzzling gravitational readings, which indicate a less dense and more extended core than expected.
The new image shows Jupiter's trademark Great Red Spot and a more intense color palette in the clouds than seen in previous years. The colorful bands result from differences in atmospheric pressures and ice cloud thickness.
Researchers used observations and physics theory to estimate magnetic field strengths for four hot Jupiters, ranging from 20 to 120 gauss. The findings suggest that internal heat flux plays a key role in determining planetary magnetic fields.
Researchers measured Jupiter's electric current system and found that alternating currents play a crucial role in generating the aurora. The study used data from NASA's Juno spacecraft to derive electric currents and found a total of approximately 50 million amperes, significantly lower than expected values.
The study suggests that massive planets form through slow material accumulation, while brown dwarfs come about due to rapid gravitational collapse. The discovery advances the idea of bottom-up planet formation and highlights the differences in planetary systems beyond our own.
A new study analyzing 300 stars finds that Jupiter-like gas giants congregate between 3 and 10 astronomical units from their stars. This 'sweet spot' is where most large planets are found, peaking in occurrence rate around 3-10 AU.
The Gemini Planet Imager survey discovered six planets and three brown dwarfs orbiting 300 stars, offering new insights into the formation of Jupiter-like planets and their distribution around high-mass stars. The findings suggest that wide-orbiting giant planets are more common around high mass stars, but rare around sun-like stars.