Compare the Planets in our Solar System: Size and volume

Jupiter's volume is about 1.4 times the sum of the volumes of the other planets in the Solar System.

Expressing the volumes of all the planets as __X 1012 makes adding the column of numbers easier. It also gives a good sense of the difference in size between the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth & Mars) and the outer planets (except "teeny" little Pluto, that is)

Planet Structure & Interior

Jupiter's equatorial surface moves at a rate of: 2 X 3.1 X(0.7 X 105 km) / 9.8 hr = 4.4 X 104 km / hr
Earth's equatorial surface moves at a rate of: 2 X 3.1 X (0.6 X 104 km) / 24 hr = 0.16 X 104 km / hr
The ABSOLUTE difference is (4.4 X 104 km / hr ) - (0.16 X 104 km / hr ) = 4.2 X 104 km / hr
=> 42,000 km / hr

On Jupiter's equator, it takes 2.5 times LESS time to travel 12 times GREATER distance.
The RELATIVE difference between Jupiter's equatorial surface speed and that of Earth is: 12 X 2.5 = 30
=> You'd move 30 times faster on Jupiter's surface

Jupiter's "Monstrous" Magnetosphere

The existence of a very large magnetic field is why we think that there is a lot of swirling metallic material at Jupiter's core.

Catch a Wave....

Grains of sand are 100 times (2 tick marks = 10 X 10) larger than bacterium.
Humans are greater than 100,000 times (5 tick marks = 105 ) larger than bacterium.

The Solid State Imaging Camera is the best instrument to take photos of the Great Red Spot because it operates in the visible light part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Jupiter emits waves at radio frequencies that are similar to the static that causes interference when a radio is playing in a lightning storm or near electrical equipment. The radio noise reaching Earth from Jupiter is greater than from any other extraterrestrial source except the Sun!

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Last modified prior to September, 2000 by the Windows Team

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