What Makes Up Jupiter's Surface?

Features

• Jupiter's appearance is due to thick layers of clouds that surround the planet. Infrared imaging reveals shades of red, yellow and white that swirl around the planet at some 300 miles per hour or more. The coloring of the clouds is thought to result from trace amounts of phosphorus, sulfur and ammonia. The bands of surface clouds travel in different directions, with yellows traveling predominately east and reds going west. White and yellow clouds are thick and high, while reddish varieties are lower. Blue clouds reveal the inner atmosphere. Tornadoes rage between varying bands of clouds.

Looking Closely

• If there is any question as to whether Jupiter consists of a solid or gaseous surface, a simple extended glance through a telescope will quickly confirm the gaseous theory. Solid surfaces have a constant rotational throughout due to the fact that all parts are rigidly connected. Jupiter's surface indicates differential rotation, which means that one can observe different areas of the planet rotating at different speeds depending on latitude.

Layer by Layer

• Below the upper cloud systems on Jupiter's surface lie a number of layers. The first layer below the helium and hydrogen outer atmosphere is composed of liquid hydrogen. Below this, where the pressure increases a hundredfold, hydrogen changes, becoming conductive and producing a strong magnetic field. Astronomers are still debating about the composition of the planet's core. Some say Jupiter has an icy core reminiscent of a comet, while others claim that Jupiter's center is solid rock.

Storms

• The alternating bands of clouds that circle the planet are known as belts and zones. The lighter-colored zones are possible high-pressure systems, while the high-temperature, darker belts might indicate low-pressure areas. This leads to a very active weather system planetwide. The planet is dotted by storms of all sizes. The largest storm is, of course, the Great Red Spot, which has been roiling for at least 300 years. But smaller storms continually form across the planet, sometimes absorbing into larger systems and sometimes expending their energy quickly and without a noticeable impact.

Theories/Speculation

• While scientists claim to have a firm grasp of the composition of Jupiter's interior, researchers continue to bring forward new theories that challenge these preconceived ideas. One idea is that Jupiter has a small rocky core; on the inside of this core, the catalysts for nuclear fission take place. Fully crystallized nickel silicide surrounds nuclear decay products, and then uranium and plutonium. The particles in this innermost core generate heat, and with it, charged particles that will become the planet's magnetic field.

A Stray Sun?

• While Jupiter may have a solid core, this core represents only 5 percent of the planet's total mass. Otherwise, astronomers have found that Jupiter is closer in composition to the sun than the other planets. NASA's Galileo orbiter discovered that the ratio of helium to hydrogen is close to that of the sun, indicating that the two might have been formed from the same material.