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Time of India
24-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Jupiter was once double in size and 50 times the magnetic power; key details inside: Study
Source: canva New research uncovers a dramatic fact about our solar system's biggest planet, Jupiter, with a diameter of 142,984 kilometres, which is about eleven times larger than Earth's diameter. It was previously almost twice its present size and possessed a magnetic field 50 times greater than it does now. The findings were made in a study by astronomers Konstantin Batygin (Caltech) and Fred C. Adams (University of Michigan), which appeared in Nature Astronomy and is otherwise described in outlets such as Caltech News and arXiv. Their study of Jupiter's small inner moons, especially the slightly inclined orbits of Amalthea and Thebe, enabled them to make a rough estimate of the early size of the planet and its strong magnetism. This condition probably prevailed some 3.8 million years after the solar system's first solid particles condensed. A magnetic force that could fry a spacecraft? What? credit: canva Jupiter's early magnetic field strength is estimated at around 21 millitesla—roughly 50 times stronger than its current field. Such intense magnetism would have generated severe radiation belts that could easily disable or destroy an unprotected spacecraft. Even today, NASA missions like Juno contend with Jupiter's radiation by using heavily shielded electronics housed in specially designed vaults (NASA JPL). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Kickstart your new journey with the Honda Shine 125 Honda Learn More Undo The magnetic history of Jupiter's field highlights that planetary magnetism must be taken into account not only in mission planning but also in comprehending the way planets engage with their surroundings and shape the solar system's architecture. Shaping the solar system credit: canva Jupiter's gravitational and magnetic influence during its giant early stage would almost certainly have had a long-term effect on the structure of the solar system. Its size and power would have affected the orbits of objects close to it, aborted planet formation in some areas, and influenced protoplanetary material trajectories. This comes in line with the "core accretion" gas giant formation model, backing up theories that Jupiter was at the centre of being a solar system architect. The findings add richness to how the early solar system developed, and highlight Jupiter's spot at the centre. What conclusions do these findings suggest? These findings not only rewrite our understanding of the solar system, let alone our knowledge about Jupiter's formative years. This study opens new arenas in the exoplanetary systems. By analysing how gas giants like Jupiter evolved so dramatically, scientists can refine models across the galaxy. As our space agencies begin to prosper and gear up for future missions to the moon and planets such as Jupiter, this insight will be important in navigating the planet's complex environment and will further unlock secrets of planetary systems that go beyond our knowledge
India Today
22-05-2025
- Science
- India Today
Architect of Solar System: New study reveals how Jupiter constructed our world
Jupiter is considered the largest planet in our Solar System, so big that it can fit 1,300 Earths inside. But that's now, there was a time when Jupiter was twice as big as it is gravity of the planet is so strong that astronomers consider it as one of the most influential factors in the evolution and creation of our Solar call it the architect as it played a critical role in shaping the orbital paths of other planets and sculpting the disk of gas and dust from which they formed. A new study now provides first look at Jupiter as it was in the beginning, roughly 3.8 million years after the solar system's first solids formed. Jupiter was significantly larger and had an even more powerful magnetic field. Jupiter's magnetic field at that time was approximately 50 times stronger. (Photo: Nasa) "Our ultimate goal is to understand where we come from, and pinning down the early phases of planet formation is essential to solving the puzzle. This brings us closer to understanding how not only Jupiter but the entire solar system took shape," Konstantin Batygin, professor of planetary science at Caltech new study, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, focussed on Jupiter's tiny moons Amalthea and Thebe, which orbit even closer to Jupiter than Io, the smallest and nearest of the planet's four large Galilean team said that because Amalthea and Thebe have slightly tilted orbits, analysed these small orbital discrepancies to calculate Jupiter's original size. It was approximately twice its current radius, with a predicted volume that is the equivalent of over 2,000 that's not all, the researchers also determined that Jupiter's magnetic field at that time was approximately 50 times stronger than it is today. "It's astonishing that even after 4.5 billion years, enough clues remain to let us reconstruct Jupiter's physical state at the dawn of its existence," Fred C. Adams, professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Michigan team focused on the orbital dynamics of Jupiter's moons and the conservation of the planet's angular momentum—quantities that are directly measurable. Their analysis establishes a clear snapshot of Jupiter at the moment the surrounding solar nebula results add crucial details to existing planet formation theories, which suggest that Jupiter and other giant planets around other stars formed via core accretion, a process by which a rocky and icy core rapidly gathers Watch
