Since 1995, scientists have discovered exoplanets with half the mass of Jupiter but at a distance from their host star only 1/20 of Earth’s distance from the Sun. These “hot Jupiters” are common in other star systems but absent in our Solar System.
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The reason for the absence of large planets close to the Sun lies in the “wandering Jupiter” hypothesis. Early in the Solar System’s history, numerous rocky planets may have orbited the Sun. However, Jupiter moved inward, disturbing the orbits of these planets, causing collisions and fragmentation.
Some fragments moved closer to the Sun. As Jupiter later moved back out due to interactions with Saturn, the remaining fragments coalesced into the rocky planets we have today: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. This also explains why inner planets are younger than those in the outer region.
Without Jupiter’s role, life on Earth may not have existed, or it might have formed differently after earlier existence was wiped out.
Additionally, Jupiter acts as a shield, protecting our planet from collisions. In the last decade, at least five comets or asteroids hit Jupiter. In one instance on March 17, 2016, a small object collided with Jupiter. These cases are observed by scientists.
Some researchers believe that 1 to 5 impacts might occur monthly. If Jupiter’s strong gravity didn’t divert objects away from Earth, we would have experienced more collisions.
In early 2018, NASA discovered huge water clouds on Jupiter, significant oxygen reserves, and potential for unique life forms. The water clouds were found in the Great Red Spot, a centuries-old storm on Jupiter. The clouds appear red in NASA’s enhanced images. Moreover, estimates show that Jupiter contains 2 to 9 times more oxygen than the Sun.
This finding reinforces NASA’s theory of a peculiar form of life on this giant gas planet.
The data was published in the Astronomical Journal and was led by Professor Imke de Pater from the University of California, Berkeley, using NASA’s latest observations of Jupiter. The research also unveils an intriguing fact about Jupiter: it was formed elsewhere and migrated to its current position.
Scientists continue to explore whether Jupiter has a core made of rock and ice.