Welcome back Stargazers!
This week we enter a world of extremes: a hollow shell and the largest planet in our solar system – Jupiter! This is a magnificent, very complex planet which holds a unique position in both our zodiac and solar system. One thousand Earths can fit inside its shell [Example: If Earth is a grape, Jupiter would be a basketball] and it’s the oldest planet, formed from a mass of dust and gases left from the Sun’s own formation over 4.6 billion years ago! This formation of Jupiter culminated with more than twice the combined material of the other planets in the solar system being used.
Fun fact: Jupiter has the same ingredients as a star, but it did not grow enough massive energy to ignite.
Even with its size, Jupiter has the shortest day in the solar system, taking about 9.9 hours to spin around once on its axis. Its distance from the Sun is also quite unique – as it takes 43 minutes for light to travel from the Sun to the surface of Jupiter. Its entire orbit around the Sun takes 12 Earth days to complete.
More anomalies? Jupiter is tilted only 3 degrees on its axis – which means it spins nearly upright, and its seasons are not as defined as on other planets. The stripes and swirls we identify with Jupiter are actually cold, windy clouds, made of ammonia and water, and its atmosphere is comprised of hydration and helium. Due to this odd composition, it doesn’t have a true surface – mostly swirling gases and liquids. The dark orange stripes are known as “belts” and the lighter bands are “zones”. They both flow east and west in opposite directions. The “Great Red Spot” (most dominant feature) is actually a giant storm, which is bigger than Earth and has been raging for hundreds of years.
The environment found on Jupiter is believed not to be viable for life as we know it. The pressures, materials and extreme temperatures are likely to be too unstable and erratic for most types of organisms to adapt – much less survive. While Jupiter may not support life, it’s believed that some of its numerous moons will offer livable options.
Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, is also one of the most likely moons to find “life” upon, elsewhere in our solar system. Evidence shows there is a vast ocean, just beneath its icy crust, where life might be supported.
Even though Jupiter is identified by its spots, swirls and belts, the 95 recognized moons that orbit Jupiter are also something to discuss. There are four major moons and numerous smaller moons circling Jupiter. This unique situation has developed something like a mini solar system.
The four large moons – Io, Europa, Ganymede and Calisto – were first noticed by Galileo in 1610, using an early version of the telescope. Honoring his discovery, these four moons are known as the Galilean satellites.
Io: most volcanically active body in the solar system.
Ganymede: largest moon in the solar system.
Calisto: very few craters indicate a small degree of current surface activity.
Europa: a liquid-water ocean with possible life may lie beneath the frozen crust. This moon was the target of NASA’s Europa Clipper mission in 2024.
The rings of Jupiter were discovered in 1979 by NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft and came as a big surprise. The rings are composed of small dark particles and they are difficult to see except when “backlit” by the Sun.
The King of Planets was named for Jupiter, King of the gods in ancient Roman mythology. Most of its moons are also named for mythological characters, figures associated with Jupiter or his Greek counterpart, Zeus.
Jupiter maintains its original position in the solar system as the 5 th planet from the Sun. Constantly displaying its size, powerful presence and authority, It acts as the solar system’s gravitational anchor, shaping planet orbits and shielding the inner planets from destructive impacts from comets.
Over the next couple of weeks, hopefully you’ll have caught the Blue Moon in Sagittarius on May 31 st . Afterward, you can make it a point to start watching Sagittarius and Gemini interacting – remember it’s about gaining perspective, releasing outgrown beliefs, and asking yourself, “Is this enough?”
Refresh, ignore the chaos, walk in nature and look to the heavens for peace of mind.
Happy Stargazing!
Yours in the Stars,
Astrid