by Chris Peterson » Mon Feb 13, 2017 7:30 pm
BDanielMayfield wrote:APOD Robot wrote:Juno ... will study Jovian giant in new ways, including trying to determine if beneath its thick clouds, Jupiter has a solid core.
Chris Peterson wrote:Jim Leff wrote:2. Jupiter may have a solid core? Wuhhh? We'd have to rewrite a lot of textbooks if that turned out to be true (Wikipedia doesn't even raise the possibility yet, sticking entirely with the classical line about "gas giant").
Textbooks have been suggesting a solid core for decades. Such a core has long been suspected, and the Wikipedia page also shows the core to be solid. "Gas giant" doesn't exclude a solid core!
I found that last line in the Explanation strange for the opposite reason Jeff. Since Jupiter was formed out of same cloud of gas and dust as the sun and the rest of our solar system, how in this universe could it not have a solid core?
The problem is that we don't really have a clear understanding about the states of matter at the extreme pressure present in the center of Jupiter. It is possible that the heavy elements that sunk to the center of the planet may simply not exist in a solid state under those conditions. (But most people think they probably do, although it's very possible the core could be a fluid solid, such as the interior of much of the Earth.)
[quote="BDanielMayfield"][quote="APOD Robot"]Juno ... will study Jovian giant in new ways, including trying to determine if beneath its thick clouds, Jupiter has a solid core.[/quote]
[quote="Chris Peterson"][quote="Jim Leff"]2. Jupiter may have a solid core? Wuhhh? We'd have to rewrite a lot of textbooks if that turned out to be true (Wikipedia doesn't even raise the possibility yet, sticking entirely with the classical line about "gas giant").[/quote]
Textbooks have been suggesting a solid core for decades. Such a core has long been suspected, and the Wikipedia page also shows the core to be solid. "Gas giant" doesn't exclude a solid core![/quote]
I found that last line in the Explanation strange for the opposite reason Jeff. Since Jupiter was formed out of same cloud of gas and dust as the sun and the rest of our solar system, how in this universe could it not have a solid core?[/quote]
The problem is that we don't really have a clear understanding about the states of matter at the extreme pressure present in the center of Jupiter. It is possible that the heavy elements that sunk to the center of the planet may simply not exist in a solid state under those conditions. (But most people think they probably do, although it's very possible the core could be a fluid solid, such as the interior of much of the Earth.)