What Makes Jupiter So Massive, Gaseous And The Biggest Planet In The Solar System?

Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System in terms of surface area, mass and volume. Its features are spectacular as well that include the Great Spot, many moons and swirling clouds.

So, how massive this gas giant planet is? The diameter of Jupiter is about 11 times than that of the planet Earth and its radius is about 1/10 the radius of the Sun. It is also 2.5 the mass of all planets in the Solar System combined and about 0.001 time the mass of the Sun. It is also about three times as that of the mass of Saturn, according to Forbes. 

The volume of Jupiter is about 4.8981 x 10 to the 27th power kg. This is about 1,321 than that of the Earth. On the other hand, it is only 318 times as massive. It has a low density of -1.326 g/cmᶟ. This is about less than one-quarter of Earth's, according to Universe Today.

Regarding its composition, it chiefly has gaseous and liquid matter. It is composed of gaseous outer atmosphere and its interior is made up of denser materials. The upper atmosphere of Jupiter is about 88 percent to 92 percent hydrogen and 8 percent to 12 percent helium by percent volume of gas molecules. It is estimated that it has 75 percent hydrogen and 24 percent helium by mass and 1 percent for other elements.

Jupiter's atmosphere has silicon-based compounds, ammonia, methane and water vapor. It also contains other hydrocarbons and benzene, carbon, hydrogen sulfide, ethane, oxygen, neon, sulfur and phosphine. There are also crystals of frozen ammonia in the outermost layer of the atmosphere.

The center of Jupiter is theorized as rocky. On the other hand, its detailed composition is unclear. Meanwhile, the temperature and pressure in the internal of Jupiter increase. Its temperature at the pressure level of 3 bars is about 340 K (67 degrees Celsius). At Jupiter's phase transition area, in which the hydrogen becomes metallic, the temperature rises to 10,000 K (9,700 degrees Celsius) and the core boundary is about 36,000 K (35,700 degrees Celsius). Its interior pressure is estimated to be 3,000 to 4,500 GPa.

Jupiter has 67 moons in all. Among these moons, 51 have a diameter of fewer than 3 kilometers. They have been just identified since 1975. The biggest moons of Jupiter are the lo, Callisto, Ganymede and Europa. They are also referred to as the "Galileans moons" that could be seen with binoculars on a bright night from the planet Earth.