New research pins down Jupiter's size, spin, and magnetic state during the solar system's formative years, providing vital clues to planetary formation.
Thanks for the explanation. So it has to be 13x of its mass to be considered as a failed star. This astonishes me, we are so insignificantly small. Hmm, can we assume it just got dense in time then?
Gas giants get denser with time. They’re, by definition, mostly made of gas. And gas significantly expands or contracts based on temperature. I’m sure a terrestrial planet like Earth shrinks slightly as it’s cooled from its founding, but nothing compared to a gas giant. Jupiter was much hotter earlier on. So as it cooled, it became less puffed up.
Thanks for the explanation. So it has to be 13x of its mass to be considered as a failed star. This astonishes me, we are so insignificantly small. Hmm, can we assume it just got dense in time then?
Gas giants get denser with time. They’re, by definition, mostly made of gas. And gas significantly expands or contracts based on temperature. I’m sure a terrestrial planet like Earth shrinks slightly as it’s cooled from its founding, but nothing compared to a gas giant. Jupiter was much hotter earlier on. So as it cooled, it became less puffed up.
I see. Its core temperature is closer to a planet than a brown dwarf I guess. Though I have found this. Well, space is amazing.