1. Chapter 8
Jovian Planet Systems

2. The Jovian Worlds: A Different Kind of Planet
The Overall composition of the Jovian planets-particulary Jupiter and Saturn-is more similar to that of the Sun than to any of the terrestrial worlds.
The Jovian Worlds: A Different Kind of Planet

3. Comparison of Bulk Properties of the Jovian Planets

4. Jupiter’s Interior Structure

5. Understanding Jovian planet sizes and densities
Stacking pillows increases the height, but eventually compression occurs.

6. Jovian Planet Interiors
~ 10 Mearth

7. Jovian Planet Atmospheres
Jupiter’s atmosphere is almost entirely hydrogen and helium.
It also contains trace amounts of:
Methane (CH4)
Ammonia (NH3)
Water(H2O)

8. The bands of rising air are called zones.
They appear white in color because ammonia clouds form as the air rises to high, cool altitudes.
The adjacent belts of falling air are depleted in cloud forming ingredients and do not contain any white ammonia clouds.
Instead, we see the red/tan ammonium – hydrosulfide clouds that form at lower altitudes.

9. Jupiter’s Belts and Zones

11. Images of Jupiter from the Voyager Mission
Rotation Rate Comparison

12. Light Blue = abundant methane gas
White = ammonia or ammonium hydrosulfide crystals
Red/Tan = ammonium hydrosulfide gas, and other sulfur and phosphorous compounds

13. Jovian Planet Magnetospheres
20,000 times as strong as Earth’s magnetic field.
Io Torus – charged particle belt formed by escaping particles from
Io which interact with Jupiter’s magnetic field.

14. The Jovian Moons
The Galilean Satellites: Io
Europa
Ganymede
Callisto

15. Io
Callisto
Europa
Ganymede
Titan
Triton

16. Io – Is so geologically active that it is the most volcanically active body in the solar system.
These are sulfur volcanoes.
Io’s surface is continually being reformed.

17. Why Is Io So Geologically Active?

18. Europa
Collisto Io
Ganymede
Photograph of Jupiter from Earth showing several of its moons
A Hubble Space Telescope image of Jupiter in true color.

19. The Icy Crust of Europa
North Pole -Earth

20. Tidal Heating may give Europa a Subterranean Ocean

21. Ganymede- the largest moon in the Solar System

22. Callisto – An ancient surface
Heavy Cratering-Ancient Surface
Dark powder overlaying low areas

23. Moons of Saturn
Titan has a hazy, cloudy atmosphere and possibly oceans of ethane

24. Saturn has Six Medium Sized Moons.

25. Moons of Uranus
Miranda – violent tectonic history

26. Moons of Neptune
Triton

27. Jovian Ring Systems
All of the Jovian planets have ring systems, including Jupiter.
Saturn’s rings are the most prominent and spectacular. They can be easily seen by an earth Observer.

28. Saturn’s Rings

29. Shepherd Moons

30. Cassini Division

31. All Jovian planets have Rings

32. Which Planet has the strongest magnetic field?
Mars
Venus
Jupiter
Earth

33. The End