Tag Archives: jupiter

The Great Red Spot

What’s so great about a red spot? Well, the size of this spot, a massive storm in Jupiter’s atmosphere, is even larger than twice Earth’s diameter and is the largest of our solar system. Not only is it the largest, it has been consistently present for the duration of our usage of telescopes in observing … Continue reading The Great Red Spot Continue reading

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Metallic Hydrogen: The Holy Grail of High Pressure Physics

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, but at most reasonable temperatures and pressures it presents itself as an (infamously) flammable, colorless gas. In the high-pressure environments of the interior of Jupiter and Saturn, however, hydrogen takes on a rare and mysterious form: metallic hydrogen. You’re probably familiar with the three traditional states … Continue reading Metallic Hydrogen: The Holy Grail of High Pressure Physics Continue reading

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Jupiter’s Eclectic Moons

As we’ve seen in our study of the Jovian planets, the actual planets themselves aren’t the only important space-related object that provides useful and insightful information. Every Jovian planet has some sort of celestial object orbiting or surrounding it, especially the moons surrounding Jupiter. Discovered by Galileo Galilei way back in 1610 (on January 10th), … Continue reading Jupiter’s Eclectic Moons Continue reading

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A Moon Above the Rest: Jupiter’s Moon Ganymede

Galileo Galilei discovered many “luminous objects” in 1610 that were orbiting Jupiter. Thought to be stars, it was discovered that they were moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar System and is even larger than the planet Mercury. It is the only satellite in the Solar System known to possess a … Continue reading A Moon Above the Rest: Jupiter’s Moon Ganymede Continue reading

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Songs of Space

Recently I’ve been collecting space-themed songs (for a McTyeire Hall event called the Galaxy Gala!), and then I thought of something I’ve heard of before: sounds coming from space! Because space is a vacuum, sound waves cannot travel through it. However, many objects within the Solar System do emit radio waves, and NASA scientists have […] Continue reading

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Jupiter As Never Seen Before

Juno, NASA’s space probe orbiting Jupiter, has just completed it’s fourth flyby of the jovial planet. In doing so, it sent back surprising images which revealed new features of Jupiter. Specifically, the images changed scientist’s previous perception of the planet’s interior composition and structure, as well as its weather patterns. In studying massive cyclone’s captured […] Continue reading

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Aurora Footprint of Jupiter’s Moons

We all are familiar with the Galilean Moons; those 4 largest moons orbiting Jupiter which Galileo discovered with his telescope, and which were subsequently named after his lovers. Three of these moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede) have created auroral bursts in Jupiter’s atmosphere, but Callisto had only yielded two potential footprints … until last month! We know how … Continue reading Aurora Footprint of Jupiter’s Moons Continue reading

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Aurora Footprint of Jupiter’s Moons

We all are familiar with the Galilean Moons; those 4 largest moons orbiting Jupiter which Galileo discovered with his telescope, and which were subsequently named after his lovers. Three of these moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede) have created auroral bursts in Jupiter’s atmosphere, but Callisto had only yielded two potential footprints … until last month! We know how … Continue reading Aurora Footprint of Jupiter’s Moons Continue reading

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Specific Europa Mission Currently Under Works, Now Named

In the quest to find habitable bodies, Jupiter’s moon Europa has been a high priority on the exploration list due to its liquid saltwater ocean underneath its ice crust. Three key ingredients for life must be present in order for biological activity to take place: liquid water, chemical ingredients, and energy sources able to enable […] Continue reading

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Diamonds Are A Planet’s Best Friend

All planets with an atmosphere experience weather of some kind. An atmosphere allows a planet to experience wind and various forms of precipitation. On Earth, precipitation comes in the form of liquid and frozen water. Scientists have reasons to believe that on Jupiter and Saturn instead of raining water it rains diamonds. Saturn has an atmosphere that […] Continue reading

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