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Jovian Planets Composition • Jupiter is composed of 97% H and He • Saturn is composed of 90% H and He • Uranus and Neptune are CH4 H2O and NH3 • Neptune and Uranus are more dense than Jupiter and Saturn • Jupiter is more dense than Saturn Jupiter • • • • a = 5.20 AU R = 11.2REarth M = 318MEarth ρ = 1.33 g/cm3 Saturn • • • • a = 9.54 AU R = 9.4REarth M = 95.2MEarth ρ = 0.70 g/cm3 Inside Jupiter • Formed around rock and metal core weighing about 10x Earth • The rest is H, compressed into strange phases Inside Other Jovian Planets Similar compositions, but less mass means less of the strange liquid and metallic H (Uranus and Neptune have only gaseous H) Magnetic Fields • Rotating Metallic H creates strong field • ~20,000x as strong as Earth’s Jupiter’s Colors • Yellow = NH3 • Rust = (NH4)SH • Blue/White = H2O Neptune CH4 Coriolis Effect • From the ball’s perspective it makes a straight line • From the dot’s perspective, it makes a curve Jupiter’s fasts rotation creates extreme Coriolis Effect, stretching weather patterns all the way around the planet The Great Red Spot • Been there as long as astronomers have looked at Jupiter • 2-3x size of Earth Similar Weather on Other Planets Jovian Satellites • 150+ known satellites of Jovian planets • Largest satellites were likely formed with planets – Smaller ones were likely captured • Largest satellites resemble terrestrial planets – – – – – – Spherical Solid Surface Geology Hot interiors Atmospheres Magnetic fields Galilean Satellites Orbital Resonance • When orbital periods of two or more bodies are integer multiples – Causes orbits to be more elliptical Io • Most volcanically active body in the solar system • Great eruption in 1996 photographed by Galileo – Plume extends 60 miles above surface – Blue due to frozen sulfur dioxide Tidal Heating • Tidal Friction is caused by elliptical orbit – Stronger tides on one side of orbit than other – Cause by orbital resonances • Tidal Friction heats up the body Europa • Surface covered in water ice • Tidal stresses heat water, keep liquid layer under the surface • Very few craters, indicates geological activity Titan • Thick atmosphere of 90% N, Hydrocarbons • Oceans of methane Rings Saturn’s Rings • Large gap called “Cassini division” – Due to orbital resonance with satellite, Mimas • Made up of tons of tiny particles of mostly ice Gaps • Rings caused by particles being bunched up into similar orbital distances • Gaps caused by: – Small “gap moons” – Orbital resonances with larger satellites Cause of Rings • All Jovian planets have rings • Not remnants of ancient formation material – That material would not last billions of years • Must be constantly resupplied – Constant collisions of small satellites – Get broken down into smaller and smaller pieces