Jupiter is melting, scientists say

Fox News ^ | 3/22/2012 | Fox News

[U-238]

Jupiter might be having a change of heart. Literally.

New simulations suggest that Jupiter's rocky core has been liquefying, melting, and mixing with the rest of the planet's innards. With this new data, astronomers hope to better explain a recent puzzling discovery of a strange planet outside of our solar system.

"It's a really important piece of the puzzle of trying to figure out what's going on inside giant planets," said Jonathan Fortney, a planetary scientist at the University of California Santa Cruz who was not affiliated with the research.

Conventional planetary formation theory has modeled Jupiter as a set of neat layers with a gassy outer envelope surrounding a rocky core consisting of heavier elements. But increasing evidence has indicated that the insides of gas giants like Jupiter are a messy mixture of elements without strictly defined borders.

This new research on a melting Jovian core bolsters a mixing model of gas giant planets and would provide another avenue for heavier elements to flow throughout the planet.

"People have been working on the assumption that these planets are layered because it's easier to work on this assumption," said Hugh Wilson, a planetary scientist at the University of California Berkeley and a coauthor of the new research appearing in Physical Review Letters.

Although scientists had previously toyed with the idea of melting cores in large planets, nobody sat down and did the necessary calculations, said Wilson.

[Right Wing Assault]

Whatever it takes. We have to dismantle it to save it. That’s “obama’s Rule.”

[U-238]

Another thing to think about is that Jupiter, due to its massive size and gravity well, is a magnet and vacuum for all kinds of space debris such as asteroids and comets, and is in such a position to literally shield the Earth from most life-itself-threatening bodies from striking us.

You are correct and this is a excellent post.

[U-238]

Jupiter does not have a molten core.Jupiter probably does not have a solid core. Jupiter’s core contains some rock and hydrogen metals. Scientists can not be 100 percent certain if deep within the planet there is a solid core or not, but based on gravitational measurements compared with Earth’s, the best educated guesses possible based on those measurements say there is no solid core.

http://www.universetoday.com/47966/jupiters-core/

[U-238]

Jupiter does not have a molten core.Jupiter probably does not have a solid core. Jupiter’s core contains some rock and hydrogen metals. Scientists can not be 100 percent certain if deep within the planet there is a solid core or not, but based on gravitational measurements compared with Earth’s, the best educated guesses possible based on those measurements say there is no solid core.

http://www.universetoday.com/47966/jupiters-core/

[U-238]

Since very little is known about the composition of Jupiter’s core or even if it still exists, the JUNO space mission was launched on August of 2011. It should arrive in orbit around Jupiter in 2016. The purpose of the mission is to orbit the poles and clear up some of the mysteries surrounding the planet and the entire Jovian system.

[Revolting cat!]

Oh, nose!

[thecodont]

They need to fix the sign. Have you seen it fully operational? The dot above the “i” is the planet with the Great Red Spot.

[citizen]

hmmmm....Hasn’t the great storm (the great eye) on Jupiter been stable and in place for hundreds of years? If there’s an instability affecting the Jovian ‘weather’, it must be happening too slowly for humans to need to care about it.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks U-238.


Thanks .

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[SunkenCiv]

An “extra, extra” ping to the APoD list members. Thanks U-238.

[hattend]

It's shrinking! It's shrinking!

[SunkenCiv]

[spokeshave]

I read somewhere that if Jupiter were a bit bigger...it would collapse and create a star......if this happens I guess we are all cooked.