If Jupiter didn't exist, would the Earth have been destroyed?

Jupiter a celestial body that, had it grown just a little larger, would have evolved into a massive sun in its own right. Who knows what cosmic sin it committed? Perhaps it failed to receive the proper "gaze" of Guru (Jupiter's ruling deity), causing it to shrink down to its current size. (Then again, isn't Jupiter itself the very planet associated with Guru? But let's not get sidetracked.) However, merely saying it "shrank" does not imply that it is small; far from it. Excluding our Sun, every other object in our solar system could be packed and contained entirely within Jupiter that is just how massive it is. For some time now, the spacecraft “Juno” has been conducting extensive research on this colossal planet. Scientists had previously hypothesized that, much like the oceans found on Earth, Jupiter harbors the single largest ocean in the entire solar system.

However contrary to what you might imagine this ocean is not composed of water like those on Earth; rather, it is a vast ocean formed from entirely different materials. Today, we are going to explore exactly what the “Juno” spacecraft has recently discovered regarding this unique ocean, as well as the other fascinating insights it has revealed about the enigmatic planet Jupiter. Come, let's find out together. When our solar system first began to form in its infancy, the Sun was the very first entity to emerge. It originated from a massive cloud a cloud we refer to as a “nebula”. This cloud was teeming with countless particles and specks of cosmic dust; drawn together by gravitational forces, these particles coalesced at the center of the cloud, gradually giving birth to the Sun.

Now, if one were to visualize what this looked like in those primordial times, it would have resembled the shape of a “Medhu Vadai” (Soft Vadai) a popular South Indian savoury doughnut or, as scientists describe it, a "doughnut shape." That is how it appeared during its formation. Once the Sun had gravitationally pulled in and absorbed its share of these particles, a significant portion of the remaining matter was left orbiting on the periphery of the cloud. It turns out that, among all the celestial bodies, Jupiter was the very first to begin gravitationally attracting and gathering the dust and particles scattered throughout this residual cloud.

If we consider which planet formed either simultaneously with the Sun or immediately after it making it the very first planet to emerge that distinction belongs to Jupiter. Drawn in by Jupiter's immense mass and powerful gravitational pull, various celestial bodies were absorbed into it; the remaining particles those not captured by Jupiter were subsequently utilized to form all the other planets in our solar system, including our own Earth. Thus, Jupiter stands as the primordial, eldest planet within our solar system. Moreover, much like our Sun, Jupiter is composed primarily of gases such as helium and hydrogen. Furthermore, consider the dense cloud cover that envelops Jupiter; if you observe the planet, you will see a swirling mass of clouds constantly shifting across its surface. It is said that beneath these clouds lie a wealth of prehistoric information.

While other planets having formed later have undergone and endured numerous transformations over time, Jupiter is believed to have remained remarkably unchanged; it is said to exist today in almost the exact same state as it did when it first formed. Consequently, studying Jupiter specifically by penetrating its cloud layers is considered equivalent to peering back into the prehistoric era. To put this in simpler terms, it is akin to stepping into a time capsule, travelling backward through time, and witnessing firsthand what transpired in the distant past. To offer yet another analogy: imagine an archaeologist who unearths an artefact dating back to the prehistoric era; by examining that object, the archaeologist can deduce and reconstruct the history of events that likely occurred during that ancient period.

Similarly, it is said that by studying Jupiter, we can gain an understanding of the conditions that prevailed during the genesis of our solar system and the specific environment in which the other planets subsequently took shape. Although we have previously dispatched numerous spacecraft to conduct research on Jupiter... Juno is truly exceptional because it incorporates an extraordinary array of cutting-edge technologies. Launched in 2011, the spacecraft initially travelled a certain distance before due to specific circumstances and a lack of sufficient thrust it returned toward Earth. Utilizing Earth's gravitational pull to gain the necessary momentum, it resumed its journey; after travelling for nearly five years, it finally reached Jupiter's orbit in 2016. Thus, the Juno spacecraft was dispatched with the specific mission of conducting research on the planet Jupiter.

This spacecraft is a magnificent marvel, and the technologies housed within it are truly extraordinary. However, the story behind how it came to be named "Juno" is itself quite fascinating. The name "Jupiter" refers to the King of the Gods in ancient Roman mythology; he was also known as the God of Thunder and Lightning. It is this very deity's name that was bestowed upon the planet we know as Jupiter. Legend has it that, at one point, Jupiter the King of the Gods committed certain transgressions. To conceal these misdeeds from his wife, he reportedly drew the clouds around himself like a veil or cloak, hiding within them to keep his actions secret. However, his wife managed to pierce through the clouds, penetrate the veil, and discover exactly what he was doing inside.

The name of this wife. Just as Juno is known in mythology, the Juno spacecraft is designed to perform a similar task. As I mentioned earlier, the planet Jupiter is entirely shrouded in clouds; beneath these clouds lie many mysteries. The Juno spacecraft is tasked with penetrating these clouds to uncover those hidden secrets. It is precisely for this reason to mirror the mythological narrative that this spacecraft was named Juno, after the wife of Jupiter. The Juno spacecraft operates powered entirely by solar energy. However, Jupiter is located five times farther from the Sun than Earth is. This means that the amount of sunlight reaching Jupiter is significantly less far less than what reaches our planet. In fact, it is estimated that Jupiter receives only about 4% of the sunlight that reaches Earth.

Consequently, Jupiter has earned the reputation of being a planet "hidden in the darkest depths of space," given the extremely low levels of sunlight available there. Yet, the spacecraft we have sent to this distant realm is designed to function solely on solar power. To overcome this challenge specifically, the scarcity of available light caused by the immense distance the Juno spacecraft was constructed on a truly massive scale. The Juno spacecraft features three colossal wings, each measuring approximately 29 feet in length. Each of these 29-foot wings is fitted with solar panels, collectively referred to as a "solar array." With such massive solar panels distributed across three wings, the spacecraft is capable of generating a substantial amount of power; even though it receives only 4% of the Sun's total energy, it is able to harness a significant portion of that available solar power. By effectively harnessing solar energy, the spacecraft is able to generate the necessary voltage and current to power the critical components located within Juno's central core.

It is estimated that the spacecraft is capable of generating approximately 500 volts. This is precisely why Juno was designed on such a massive scale. Regarding Juno's overall dimensions including the central body and the three solar wings extending outward from it (much like the blades of a household fan) the total size of the spacecraft is said to be roughly equivalent to the size of a basketball court. Juno holds the distinction of being the very first solar-powered spacecraft to successfully travel and operate at such a vast distance from Earth. Previous missions did not venture this far, primarily because solar radiation becomes too faint to be effectively harnessed at such extreme distances. Furthermore, while Juno is certainly a mission to study Jupiter, it is not the first of its kind; numerous spacecraft have been sent to the gas giant in the past.

However, all previous missions followed a specific trajectory: they would approach Jupiter and orbit exclusively around its equatorial region that distinct, bulging belt-like area around the planet's middle. The significant disadvantage of this approach is that the imagery captured by these spacecraft even while orbiting in close proximity to the planet was essentially identical to the views observable from Earth. For instance, the "Great Red Spot" a massive storm swirling within Jupiter's equatorial region is clearly visible to us here on Earth when viewed through a telescope; consequently, the images captured by those earlier spacecraft offered no new perspectives beyond what we could already observe from our home planet.

Since the spacecraft orbits only that specific region, the images captured and the areas studied by the craft are limited to exactly what we would observe from Earth using our own telescopes. To circumvent this limitation as well as for another specific reason the Juno spacecraft was designed to follow a unique orbital path. Instead of orbiting around the equatorial region, it was engineered to orbit around the planet's north and south poles. With this design in place, the Juno spacecraft was launched. I mentioned there was a "second reason" for this design; let me explain what that is. On Earth, a magnetic field is generated, originating from both the North and South Poles; this field envelops the entire planet.

It serves to protect us from solar rays and the intense radiation emanating from the Sun. However, this magnetic field is charged with extremely high voltages and contains powerful electrical currents. Avoiding the hazards posed by this environment was another key reason for the spacecraft's unique design. Now, when we look at Jupiter, we find a magnetic field that is 15 times stronger than Earth's a consequence of Jupiter being such a colossal planet. Furthermore, recent findings have revealed that in certain specific locations, the magnetic field is far more intense than our initial predictions exceeding them by a staggering 50 times. When a spacecraft attempts to traverse this region penetrating deep into this magnetic field the sheer intensity of these forces poses a risk significant enough to potentially cause the spacecraft to explode.

There is a possibility that such issues could arise; to prevent this and specifically to avoid the intense magnetic fields concentrated at the poles the spacecraft's trajectory has been designed to approach from the north or south pole, curve around the planet, and exit on the opposite side. Now, take a look at this image; it features an illustration depicting the nature of Jupiter's magnetic field. Notice how the field lines converge: while the magnetic field is relatively weak at the north and south poles, it is extremely intense near the planet's core. Juno has been designed to bypass this central region entirely. Furthermore, observe how the area near the equator where the magnetic field lines loop back and converge is depicted with exceptional brightness.

This signifies that the magnetic field intensity is extremely high in those specific equatorial regions; consequently, Juno has been engineered to steer clear of these areas as well. Even with these evasive maneuvers, the residual magnetic field present in the vicinity would inevitably exert “some” influence on the spacecraft; to shield against this, Juno's critical components have been entirely encased within a protective titanium housing. This polar orbiting strategy offers us two distinct advantages. First, since we have never previously observed Jupiter's north and south poles, this trajectory enables Juno to capture images of and conduct scientific investigations into these unexplored polar regions.

Second, given that Jupiter is constantly rotating on its axis, as Juno traverses the equatorial regions, it is able to observe and image every facet of the planet's surface located near the equator. Thus, this orbital design yields these two significant benefits; having successfully established this north-to-south polar orbit, the Juno spacecraft has subsequently captured and transmitted back to us a wealth of breathtaking images. Take a look at this photo; it is an infrared image captured and transmitted to us in 2016, just as the Juno spacecraft entered Jupiter's orbit and began its rotational survey. What this image reveals is the presence of a massive storm swirling at the planet's North Pole. Centered around this primary storm, eight smaller storms are rotating in a circular formation.

The central storm currently rotating at the core has a diameter or surface area of approximately 3,000 kilometers. Furthermore, the eight smaller storms orbiting it each have a diameter ranging from roughly 2,400 to 2,800 kilometers. We are already aware of the Cassini spacecraft, which previously conducted a detailed study of the planet Saturn; during its mission, it captured and transmitted images revealing a massive hexagonal structure a six-sided shape located at Saturn's polar region. Similarly, Juno which is currently studying Jupiter has captured and transmitted images of the storms located at Jupiter's North Pole. It has been discovered that as these eight storms rotate in formation, their collective arrangement traces out an octagonal shape much like how a six-sided formation constitutes a hexagon, this eight-sided arrangement forms an octagon.

Despite rotating in such close proximity at the North Pole nearly touching one another these storms have not collapsed into one another or merged into a single entity; for the time being, they continue to rotate as distinct, separate storms. Likewise, at the South Pole mirroring the hexagonal structure found on Saturn six smaller storms have converged to form and rotate as a single hexagonal shape. Now, as Juno continues its orbital passes around Jupiter. As it orbits, its trajectory varies; at times it passes in very close proximity, while at other times it swings much further away. During its closest approaches, it sometimes comes within a distance of nearly 3,500 kilometers that is, it gets as close as 3,500 kilometers from Jupiter's surface.

When I mention this figure of 3,500 kilometers, it might seem like a vast distance leading one to assume that the images are captured from quite far away. To help us visualize this clearly using an object we are familiar with consider a basketball. Imagine the Juno spacecraft, scaled down to a tiny size, flying over that basketball. In this analogy, the Juno spacecraft would be flying just a quarter of an inch or 0.6 centimeters above the basketball's surface. Now, take a look at this photograph. This, too, is an image of Jupiter's North Pole; however, it was created by stitching together numerous individual images captured by the Juno spacecraft, combining them into a single composite, and enhancing them with some "false colors."

It looks beautiful, doesn't it? This image clearly displays the octagonal pattern I mentioned earlier the formation of eight distinct cyclones or storms and, in addition to those, it reveals a multitude of other storms swirling around Jupiter. As I previously noted, due to Jupiter's colossal size, the magnetic field it generates is far more massive and immense than the magnetic field produced by our Earth. Similarly, on our own planet at both the North and South Poles. At the Earth's poles, a phenomenon known as the "Aurora" occurs a vibrant display of scattered light appearing in various hues, such as blue and green. This spectacle is generated by the planet's magnetic field.

Just as these auroras form here on Earth, they also occur on Jupiter. However, each of Jupiter's auroras specifically those forming at its poles is many times larger than those on Earth; indeed, they are vastly greater in scale than the entire planet Earth itself. Furthermore, in the auroras that form on Earth, electrons strike with an energy level of only a few thousand volts. In contrast, within the auroras on Jupiter, electrons are estimated to strike with an energy level of nearly 400,000 volts. On a related note, I previously mentioned that scientists have hypothesized the potential existence of an ocean on Jupiter. This hypothesis appears to be largely accurate. Just as we know oceans exist on Earth, scientists predict that an ocean may exist on Jupiter as well.

However, unlike the oceans on Earth which are composed of H₂O (water) scientists theorize that the ocean on Jupiter may consist entirely of hydrogen. This is due to the gravitational force: while Earth possesses a significant gravitational pull, Jupiter's gravity is immensely stronger so much so that one would experience a gravitational force approximately two million times greater than what is felt here on Earth. To illustrate this in relatable terms: imagine lying flat on the ground, and then stacking cars vertically on top of you one after another until the stack reaches a height of 160 kilometers. The combined weight of that entire column of cars would exert an immense pressure upon you; that is the magnitude of the force we are discussing.

Scientists suggest that the immense pressure experienced deep beneath the surface here on Earth is comparable to the pressure one would encounter on Jupiter. We do not fully understand how hydrogen behaves under such extreme pressure; while we know that, under Earth's atmospheric conditions, hydrogen exists as a gas and that it transforms into water when two hydrogen atoms bond with one oxygen atom its behaviour under the crushing pressures found on Jupiter remains a mystery. Given that Jupiter is known to be composed primarily of hydrogen and helium gases, scientists hypothesize that under such extreme pressure, hydrogen might react in a unique manner.

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Specifically, they predict that under such critical pressure, it could transition into a liquid state perhaps even into a "metallic liquid" phase. Since Jupiter is saturated with hydrogen, scientists have theorized that beneath its dense cloud cover, there may exist a colossal ocean a vast sea composed of this metallic liquid hydrogen spanning the entire planet. This remained merely a hypothesis until the launch of the Juno spacecraft, which was sent to penetrate the clouds and determine the veracity of this theory. Juno's observations have since indicated that there is indeed a strong possibility a high probability that such an ocean exists; however, its actual existence has not yet been definitively confirmed.

Should future investigations conclusively prove the existence of such a body, this ocean of hydrogen on Jupiter would stand as the single largest and most colossal ocean in the entire solar system. Finally, you may already be aware of the "Great Red Spot" on Jupiter a massive storm that has been swirling continuously for many years, and which is so immense that it can be observed from Earth with the naked eye. We can easily observe the Great Red Spot using a standard telescope right here from Earth. However, were you aware that there is something called the "Great Blue Spot" on Jupiter as well? It is unlikely that you would know, as it was discovered only very recently. Furthermore even if you were aware of its existence you would be unable to see it, as it is invisible to the naked eye.

Even if you were to look through a telescope, it would not appear like the Great Red Spot, because the Great Blue Spot is a phenomenon created entirely by magnetic fields. Since it exhibits polar characteristics Since it exhibits polar characteristics, it is suggested that this feature can be considered a third pole. Thus, from this perspective, one could say that Jupiter possesses three poles three distinct polar regions. These are not poles that can be visually observed in the conventional sense; rather, they constitute a novel pole generated by the planet's magnetic field. Furthermore, this pole does not remain static or stable; due to Jupiter's rapid rotation and the presence of intense winds, its orientation is constantly shifting it is in a perpetual state of flux rather than remaining fixed.

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Because of the existence of this novel pole and the consequent fact that Jupiter's entire magnetic field remains in a state of constant change rather than stability this phenomenon is referred to as "secular variation." Our current understanding of this subject remains somewhat limited; the "Great Blue Spot" requires further extensive investigation. It was already known that water might exist on Jupiter; although some spacecraft previously sent there indicated that the environment was arid, the possibility of water being present was a concept we were already aware of. However, the Juno spacecraft has now revealed a significant discovery: in Jupiter's equatorial regions the central belt of the planet there is a vast quantity of water, far exceeding our previous expectations.

We refer to Earth's central line as the "Equator" (or “Bhumathiya Rekhai” in Tamil) because it is the central line of Earth (“Bhoomi”). By that logic, shouldn't the central line of Jupiter be called the "Jupiter Equator"? Well, feel free to share your thoughts on that in the comments section. We know that Jupiter's "Great Red Spot" is a massive, colossal storm a tempest that has been raging on the planet for centuries. It is continuously rotating a phenomenon that is clearly visible to us from our vantage point here. As I mentioned previously, back in 1979, this storm was nearly twice the size of our Earth. However, measurements taken by the Juno spacecraft reveal that it has been gradually shrinking over time; it has now diminished to just one-thirteenth of its original size.

This storm is slowly contracting, and there is a possibility that, many centuries from now, it could vanish completely. The Juno spacecraft has also uncovered another fascinating piece of information regarding this storm: while we have historically observed the storm only from above, Juno has now determined its vertical extent specifically, how deep the storm penetrates. It has been revealed that this storm extends to a depth of approximately 320 kilometers reaching from the visible surface down to the very base of its "roots." To put this into perspective, this depth is 50 to 100 times greater than the depth of Earth's oceans. The Juno spacecraft was not launched solely to study Jupiter itself; it was also tasked with investigating other features associated with the planet.

For instance, just as Saturn is known for its massive, easily visible ring system, Jupiter also possesses a ring albeit a very faint one that is not immediately apparent to the naked eye. Nevertheless, such a ring does indeed encircle Jupiter, and the spacecraft is currently studying this thin, delicate ring structure. Furthermore, Juno is conducting research on three of Jupiter's four "Galilean moons" the large satellites discovered by Galileo. The fourth moon, however, Due to their great distance, it has not been possible to conduct detailed studies on these specific objects. The images shown here specifically focusing on the moons were captured exclusively by the Juno spacecraft. In several of these photographs, Juno has captured not only the moons themselves but also the shadows cast by these moons as they fall upon the surface of Jupiter.

Juno, which entered Jupiter's orbit in 2016, was originally designed to operate only until 2017; the initial plan was to decommission and destroy the spacecraft after that period. However, because it continued to function robustly and without any technical issues beyond that date, its mission was extended until 2021. During this extended period, it conducted extensive research and transmitted a wealth of additional data. Since it continues to operate efficiently to this day, its mission has now been further extended until 2025. In 2025, the spacecraft will be decommissioned; its orbit will naturally decay, and under the influence of Jupiter's gravitational pull, it will be rapidly drawn toward the planet, eventually crashing into Jupiter and being destroyed.

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Studying Jupiter yields far more information than studying other planets. As I mentioned earlier, since Jupiter is a planet that formed during the very early stages of our solar system, studying it allows us to gain insights into the formation of our solar system as a whole specifically, how the solar system came into existence. Furthermore, it enables us to understand how the other planets in our solar system excluding Jupiter were formed. Beyond this, we are currently conducting numerous. Through our research, we are discovering numerous planets orbiting stars beyond our own solar system. The vast majority of these newly found worlds turn out to be gas giants much like Jupiter itself.

We have identified many such gas-rich planets orbiting stars entirely unrelated to our Sun or our solar system. We are hopeful that studying Jupiter will provide us with valuable data and insights regarding these distant exo planets as well; this is precisely why we continue to conduct ongoing research on Jupiter. Thus, studying Jupiter is not merely about understanding that specific planet; it is an undeniable fact that this research will shed light on our entire solar system, our own Earth, other planets throughout the cosmos, and even the formation of stellar systems. The universe as a whole is a vast, awe-inspiring realm filled with countless mysteries. Similarly, within our own solar system, Jupiter stands out among the other planets as a truly extraordinary entity, brimming with mysteries of its own. Research into this fascinating world continues unabated; I will keep you updated periodically on the latest developments.

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