Articles tagged with Jupiter
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.
New research analyzes light from CI Tau b, a close-orbiting giant exoplanet, to determine its mass and brightness. The study provides strong evidence for the 'hot start' theory of planet formation, challenging traditional models.
Researchers discovered that Rqc2 marks protein fragments with a flag, allowing proteases to cut up bad fragments. The study sheds light on the ancient mechanism used by bacteria to recycle incomplete proteins, which has implications for understanding life's origins and developing new treatments for diseases.
Researchers used computer simulations to discover Jupiter was formed four times further from the sun than its current position and migrated over 700,000 years. The Trojan asteroids' asymmetry provided key evidence for this migration theory.
The latest data from Juno and Cassini spacecraft has challenged existing theories on planetary formation and behavior, revealing new insights into Jupiter and Saturn's magnetic fields and atmospheres. Surprisingly, the atmosphere is evenly mixed, contradicting conventional predictions.
Scientists identified a six-seven year cycle of spectacular disturbances at Jupiter's equator, where clouds vanish completely allowing deeper viewing into the planet's atmosphere. The researchers expect to see another event soon, possibly as early as next year, with implications for NASA's Juno mission.
Scott Bolton, associate vice president of SwRI's Space Science and Engineering Division, receives the 2018 American Ingenuity Award from Smithsonian Magazine for his work on NASA's Juno mission. The mission has revealed complex, turbulent structures around Jupiter, including iconic belts and zones, Earth-sized cyclones, and a lumpy mag...
A young star with a protoplanetary disc has been discovered to have four Jupiter and Saturn-sized planets in orbit around it. The system's extreme range of orbits raises questions about how such a system might have formed.
Researchers found widespread strike-slip faulting on Ganymede, indicating complex geologic activity in the past. This discovery improves our understanding of Ganymede's tectonic history and its neighbor Europa's potential for hosting life.
Researchers have proposed a new model for Jupiter's birth, revealing three distinct phases of growth. The first phase was characterized by rapid accretion of small pebbles and core building, followed by slower accretion of larger planetesimals that brought energy to the growing planet.
Research team proposes that ultrahot Jupiters have normal compositions, with atmospheres resembling stars due to high temperatures and radiation. Water molecules are torn apart on the dayside, but may recombine into clouds in the nightside hemispheres.
Researchers discovered a massive increase in wave power near Jupiter's moons Ganymede and Europa, a million times more intense than average. This phenomenon is attributed to the strong magnetic fields of these moons, which amplify low-frequency radio waves.
Astronomers have detected a strong magnetic field in a planetary-mass object beyond our Solar System, similar to Jupiter's but over 200 times stronger. The object is believed to be a free-floating planet, only 12.7 times more massive than Jupiter, and has a surface temperature of about 825 degrees Celsius.
Researchers have discovered a complex and previously unknown phenomenon in Jupiter's upper atmosphere. The discovery reveals that the planet's magnetic equator is surprisingly simple, but its ionosphere between the equator and pole is very complex.
New images from the Juno spacecraft reveal that Jupiter's moons Io and Ganymede cast multiple, double-wingshaped auroral footprints on their parent planet. These large lunar bodies decorate the atmosphere with unusual patterns, previously seen as a bright spot footprint of each nearby moon.
A study suggests that Jupiter's surface jet streams could provide evidence for a rocky core at its center. Researchers used computer simulations to analyze data from NASA's Juno spacecraft, which found evidence of local variations in the planet's magnetic and gravity fields.
The James Webb Space Telescope will create multispectral maps of the Great Red Spot, analyzing its thermal, chemical, and cloud structures. Scientists hope to observe unique chemical byproducts of the storm, which could reveal its composition.
Scientists analyzed newly resurrected data from Galileo's first flyby of Ganymede, revealing a stormy scene with particles blasted off the moon's icy surface due to incoming plasma rain. The results may hold key insights into why Ganymede's auroras are so bright.
The Juno mission has discovered that Jupiter's atmospheric bands extend thousands of miles into the planet's atmosphere, with winds speeds as great as 220 miles per hour. This finding challenges previous understanding of giant planets and reveals a complex structure beneath the cloud layer.
Researchers used NASA's Juno spacecraft data to reveal that Jupiter's colorful bands are not just surface phenomena, but significant strata extending 3,000 km deep. The analysis shows that Jupiter's atmosphere is only 1% of its total mass, a surprising discovery.
Scientists have discovered intricate storm patterns at Jupiter's poles, with eight and five storms surrounding a central cyclone in each hemisphere. This unusual arrangement challenges our understanding of atmospheric dynamics, sparking hopes for new insights into planetary weather.
Astronomers discovered a 'hot Jupiter' with westward winds, defying theory. The planet's atmosphere may interact with its magnetic field or be affected by clouds, raising new questions about the phenomenon.
A NASA-led team has identified that gravity waves are the primary driver of Jupiter's equatorial jet stream's reversal, with convection in the lower atmosphere producing waves that travel up to the stratosphere. The findings could help scientists better understand the dynamic atmosphere of Jupiter and other planets.
A new physical model proposes that most of Earth's water came from objects scattered into the inner Solar System by Jupiter's rapid growth. The model suggests that Jupiter's massive size and gravitational pull disturbed thousands of water-rich planetesimals, delivering them to the region currently occupied by Earth's orbit.
NASA has launched a fleet of missions to study the planets in our solar system, revealing unique features of each planet's magnetosphere. Earth's and other magnetospheres deflect charged particles away from the planet, but also trap energetic particles in radiation belts.
Researchers aim to understand the evolution of our solar system by studying 'hot Jupiters', gas giants orbiting close to their parent stars. They will measure escaping gases and look for evidence of magnetic fields on these planets.
A giant gas giant planet, NGTS-1b, has been discovered orbiting a tiny star, defying conventional formation theories. The planet's proximity to its star and short orbital period pose significant challenges for understanding the origins of such massive worlds.
Research using ESA's XMM-Newton and NASA's Chandra X-ray observatories found that Jupiter's south pole X-ray emissions pulse every 11 minutes, while north pole emissions are erratic. This behavior is distinct from Earth's auroras, which mirror each other in activity.
Researchers explored racial microaggressions in STEM fields, finding they negatively impact underrepresented scientists. In another study, a 'dynamical shake-up' model explains why Mars is so small and there are no planets in the asteroid belt.
KFU astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a red giant star HD208897, located 210 light years away from Earth. The planet has a mass of 1.4 Jupiter masses and an orbital period of 353 days, marking the first time in Russian astronomy such a discovery was made using spectroscopic methods.
Satellite imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite revealed a clear eye with powerful bands of thunderstorms circling the eye. Cloud top temperatures as cold as minus 83.1 degrees Celsius indicated the most powerful storms in Irma, stretching high into the troposphere.
A team of astronomers found that there are about seven times more long-period comets measuring at least 1 kilometer across than previously predicted. Long-period comets are nearly twice as large as Jupiter family comets, suggesting an evolutionary difference between the two types of comets.
Researchers at Yale University have discovered 60 new potential 'hot Jupiters,' gas giant planets that orbit extremely close to their stars. The discovery was made possible by a novel application of machine learning algorithms and the analysis of more than 140,000 star observations from NASA's Kepler mission.
Bee-Zed asteroid, discovered in 2015, orbits the Sun every 12 years, corresponding with Jupiter's orbital period, and shares its orbit despite moving in the opposite direction. This retrograde co-orbit is rare, occurring only in about 82 of the more than 726,000 known asteroids.
The newly discovered planet KELT-9b has a unique orbit, atmospheric features, and a daytime temperature hotter than most stars. Its surface reaches 7,800 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, just 2,000 degrees cooler than the Sun.
The Juno spacecraft has revealed stunning discoveries about Jupiter's core, composition, and magnetosphere, including a dynamo region in the planet's outer core. Scientists are surprised by similarities to Earth's auroras but also find significant differences, including the existence of heavy elements in the interior.
Researchers combined data from three spacecraft to show that Jupiter's brightest auroral features are powered by both volcanic moon Io and interaction with the solar wind. The energy is transferred at speeds approaching 400-800 km/s, challenging previous assumptions about magnetic fields' dominance.
The Juno mission has revealed cyclones on Jupiter's poles with diameters up to 1,400 kilometers across. The spacecraft also detected a massive magnetic field that is substantially stronger than models predicted, potentially powering the planet's huge aurorae.
University of Leicester astronomers' predictions of Jupiter's planetary phenomena have been confirmed by the Juno mission. The spacecraft has revealed an even more extreme environment than predicted, with intense radiation belts and powerful aurorae.
Researchers at the University of Leicester have discovered a massive, cold spot on Jupiter's atmosphere, comparable to its famous Great Red Spot, generated by polar aurorae. The phenomenon, potentially thousands of years old, creates a region of cooling in the thermosphere and has been observed to change dramatically over time.
The Hubble Space Telescope captured the largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter, at unprecedented resolution. The telescope revealed exquisite details in Jupiter's atmosphere, including small-scale storm systems and wind patterns that reach speeds of up to 400 miles per hour.
Asteroid Bee-Zed, orbiting the wrong way around the sun, has been playing a cosmic game of chicken with Jupiter for a million years. The asteroid's retrograde motion allows it to maintain a stable orbit despite its unusual path, thanks to Jupiter's gravity deflection.
The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft captured a unique image of Jupiter and its three largest moons, Callisto, Io, and Ganymede. The image showcases the planet's distinct bands and was taken at 76 million miles from Earth.
Researchers create swirling winds in laboratory using spinning table and massive garbage can, demonstrating that Jupiter's jets likely extend into its gaseous interior. The team's analog model mimics the planet's rapid rotation and turbulence conditions necessary for jet formation.
The Lucy spacecraft will launch in 2021 and fly by six Trojan asteroids between 2025 and 2033, studying their geology, surface composition, and bulk properties. The mission aims to decipher the history of the solar system and provide critical knowledge about planetary origins.
Scientists have found that Jupiter's massive gravity may have formed rare, high-velocity meteorites called CB chondrites. These meteorites suggest Jupiter was near its current size and in the asteroid belt when they were formed, about 5 million years after the solar system solidified.
Researchers have tracked 48 volcanic hotspots on Io's surface over a 29-month period, capturing heat coming off active eruptions and lava flows. The observations reveal that most eruptions occur on the trailing face of Io, with some appearing to progress across the surface over time.
A team of researchers has shed light on the origin of centaur rings, revealing a scenario where tidal disruptions lead to disc formation and ring creation. The study suggests that rings around centaurs are more common than previously thought, with many awaiting discovery.
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have imaged what may be water vapor plumes erupting off the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa. The observation increases the possibility that missions to Europa may be able to sample its ocean without having to drill through miles of ice.
A team of Carnegie scientists has discovered three giant planets in a binary star system composed of stellar 'twins' that are also effectively siblings of our Sun. The findings may help explain the influence that giant planets like Jupiter have over a solar system's architecture.
Researchers from Boston University found that Jupiter's Great Red Spot is responsible for heating the planet's upper atmosphere to unusually high temperatures. The team used infrared observations to map temperature anomalies across the planet, revealing that the Great Red Spot's heat distribution matches the observed values.
The tiny radiation-resistant chips play a crucial role in the Jupiter Energetic Particle Detector Instrument (JEDI), measuring particle speed, energy, and position with time accuracy down to a fraction of a billionth of a second. Without these microchips, satellite electronics would be much heavier and require more shielding and power.
Researchers have found evidence of water clouds in WISE 0855, a nearby brown dwarf that is the coldest known object outside of our solar system. The team used spectroscopic observations to study its composition and chemistry, revealing a spectrum dominated by water vapor and clouds.
Researchers at Harvard University observed evidence of Jupiter's hydrogen transitioning into liquid metal, a key to the planet's powerful magnetic field. The findings could revolutionize rocketry and energy science, as well as our understanding of solar system origins.
New high-resolution maps and images of Jupiter showcase the planet's dynamic atmosphere, including giant storms and vortices. These observations will help set the scene for Juno's close-up views of Jupiter and provide a global context for its thermal structure, cloud cover, and gaseous species.
Astronomers have produced the most detailed radio map yet of Jupiter's atmosphere, revealing massive movement of ammonia gas that underlies colorful bands and whirling clouds. The study sheds light on global circulation and cloud formation driven by Jupiter's internal heat source.
New observations reveal a widespread view of activity below Jupiter's clouds, including hot spots and dry regions devoid of clouds and condensable gases. The detected ammonia plumes swell up in wave patterns, suggesting motion deep within the atmosphere.
Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory found that Europa's ocean could have a comparable balance of hydrogen and oxygen to Earth's oceans, suggesting the presence of a habitable environment. This discovery draws attention to the complexity of Europa's rocky interior and its potential for supporting life.
Scientists discover that Europa's tidal dissipation process generates significantly more heat in its ice than previously assumed. This finding has implications for estimating the thickness of the moon's outer shell and understanding the chemistry of the hidden ocean, which is crucial for searching for life.