by wonderboy » Fri Mar 26, 2010 2:18 pm
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/s ... 10306.html
The giant planets also generate a little energy of their own. Still, because it is so far from the Sun, Jupiter gets about one-twentieth the amount of energy, compared to its surface area, as Earth, according to Ingersoll. And Neptune has about one-twentieth the energy of Jupiter to work with.
"Yet there is an inverse relation between energy input and the speed of the winds," Ingersoll said. "Neptune is the windiest planet, Jupiter is intermediate, and Earth has the weakest winds. This inverse relation is a mystery."
Jupiter's moon Io has a thin, fluid atmosphere that is somewhat like Mars'. These atmospheres can turn mostly to ice at night or during the winter. The effect? Io's atmosphere is so thin that winds reach supersonic speeds as the gas expands into the vacuum on the nightside, according to Ingersoll.
While Earth's weather may seem tame compared to some of these crazy places, Ingersoll notes one important feature -- a scientific fact -- that forecasters still wrestle with every day: Our planet has the most unpredictable and inexplicable weather in the solar system.
Neptunes windspeeds can almost reach supersonic, and has been recorded at around 1200mph. this means that Io is the windiest place in the solar system, but neptune has the highest wind velocity of all the planets in the solar system, with saturn coming close second. (correct me if im wrong)
[url]http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/solar_system_weather_010306.html[/url]
[quote]The giant planets also generate a little energy of their own. Still, because it is so far from the Sun, Jupiter gets about one-twentieth the amount of energy, compared to its surface area, as Earth, according to Ingersoll. And Neptune has about one-twentieth the energy of Jupiter to work with.
"Yet there is an inverse relation between energy input and the speed of the winds," Ingersoll said. "Neptune is the windiest planet, Jupiter is intermediate, and Earth has the weakest winds. This inverse relation is a mystery."
Jupiter's moon Io has a thin, fluid atmosphere that is somewhat like Mars'. These atmospheres can turn mostly to ice at night or during the winter. The effect? Io's atmosphere is so thin that winds reach supersonic speeds as the gas expands into the vacuum on the nightside, according to Ingersoll.
While Earth's weather may seem tame compared to some of these crazy places, Ingersoll notes one important feature -- a scientific fact -- that forecasters still wrestle with every day: Our planet has the most unpredictable and inexplicable weather in the solar system.
[/quote]
Neptunes windspeeds can almost reach supersonic, and has been recorded at around 1200mph. this means that Io is the windiest place in the solar system, but neptune has the highest wind velocity of all the planets in the solar system, with saturn coming close second. (correct me if im wrong)