jupiter1- suffolk county community college（jupiter1——萨福克县社区学院）.doc

Jupiter 1 Data Name – The planet Jupiter is named after the king of the gods in Roman mythology. Size 2 – Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system, measuring 88,850 miles in diameter. Location – Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun, with an average distance of approximately 484 million miles. Orbital period – 11.86 years. Rotational period – 9.83 hours. Number of Satellites – 67 known moons. Atmosphere Composition – Jupiter’s atmosphere is primarily composed of hydrogen (88-92%) and helium (8-12%). Trace Constituents – Jupiter’s atmosphere also contains trace amounts of methane, ammonia, hydrogen deuteride, ethane, water, carbon, hydrogen sulfide, neon, oxygen, phosphine, sulfur, and silicon-based compounds. Traces of hydrocarbons (hydrogen-carbon compounds), such as acetylene and benzene have also been found. The Sun’s ultraviolet radiation breaks down the methane in Jupiter’s atmosphere to form these hydrocarbons. This process, known as photochemistry, is also responsible for the formation of the Earth’s ozone layer, the sulfuric acid clouds of Venus, and the trace constituents within the atmospheres of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. In addition, lightning (up to a thousand times more powerful than lightning on Earth) observed within the clouds of Jupiter may contribute to the formation of hydrocarbons. Hydrogen-Helium Rich Atmosphere – Because of Jupiter’s strong gravitational force and the cold temperatures (-150o F) associated with the planet’s distance from the Sun, the retention of a hydrogen-helium rich atmosphere is possible. (The atmospheres of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are also hydrogen-helium rich for the same reasons.) Circulation – The structure of Jupiter’s atmosphere is related to its circulation. Jupiter exhibits a constantly shifting pattern of clouds, but its overall appearance is characterized by a fairly constant pattern of alternating bright and dark bands 3. The formation and stability of thes