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Questions tagged [jupiter]

Questions regarding Jupiter, the 5th and largest planet in the Solar System.

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If Jupiter is a gas-giant then why don't its features change?

A naive question. When we look at Jupiter, we see that its features didn't change largely over many years, for instance, the red-spot. If it is composed of gases and liquids, then why aren't the effects of mixing of these fluids visible? My…
kaka
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During solar eclipses on Jupiter, can the moon(s)' shadow(s) on the surface be seen from Earth with a telescope?

All of the Galilean moons are large and close enough to Jupiter that they can completely eclipse the sun and allow a solar eclipse to happen. My question is can an observer from Earth, see the moon(s)' shadow(s) on the surface of Jupiter with a…
user177107
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What is the period of Jupiter being visible in the sky?

For more than 3 months now, we can enjoy seeing Jupiter in the sky, and this will be the case until end of December. This means that Jupiter move slowly in the sky every day, but it makes me wonder when we'll be able to see it again after December…
Cyril N.
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Lightning in Jupiter's "string of pearls?"

Is there any reason there couldn't be lightning in the storms that make up Jupiter's "string of pearls?" Addendum:I'm writing a science fiction novel, with a ship passing by Jupiter and lightning is seen in one of those storms. I don't want to be in…
Bob516
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Does Jupiter rotate at the same speed at every depth?

Jupiter rotates in less than 10 hours. Its rotation is differential, with the upper layers of the atmosphere spinning a bit faster at the equator than at higher latitudes. Do the inner layers of Jupiter rotate at the same (angular) speed as the…
usernumber
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How to read Babylonians' tablet that were used to track Jupiter's movements?

There is a science news article on how Babylonians used geometry to track Jupiter’s movements. Here is an image of cuneiform tablet which shows Jupiter's movements. (source: sciencenews.org) From a layman's point of view, it looks like someone…
Dumbledore
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Is Jupiter just a super earth with hydrogen atmosphere?

Often I see books which state that Jupiter has a rocky core, if it is true, does it originate from super earth with excessive collection of hydrogen?
Gstestso
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Boise ID 6:55pm 2 lights in a row brighter than Jupiter -disappeared

Ok there is another question like this from a month ago. I am in Boise Idaho, and at 6:55 PM MST Nov 15, 2022, two lights brighter than Jupiter were about an inch to the north and east. The two lights and Jupiter made almost a straight line. I…
Sid Mitchell
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Celestron 130 EQ astromaster

I brought this 130 EQ telescope and set it up following the manual. I checked collimations and seemed alright, the usual 3 clips with the black solid circle in the middle crisscrossed by the spider veins. I checked the moon and it shows nice and…
lavicktor
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Astronomy Calculations Tool

I took many images like the following: As many of you may recognise, this is a picture of Jupiter and its four Galilean moons. Using these images, I am aiming to calculate the mass of Jupiter by finding the orbital distance and orbital period of…
StopReadingThisUsername
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If jupiter was the densest planet on the solar system with low volume, could it be a star without multiplying its mass 80 times?

Astronomers or Scientists say that Jupiter's Mass would have to be multiplied 80 times to become a star (M Mass). What if Jupiter was denser, would there be thermonuclear energy because of the density?
Tardy
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