This universe is no less than a marvel, and so is Jupiter, the most significant planet of our solar system which is named after Romans’ God. It has got many exciting facts fascinating not only for astronomers but also for the general people.
The planet’s moons, rings, storms, size and its core make-up, everything about it is just attractive. Well, the most interesting is its rings that don’t appear on general drawings of the solar system like Saturn.
So, how many rings does Jupiter Have?
There are as many as four rings that Jupiter have, and we can’t tell if the number is final, because until the last year we thought that Earth and its neighboring planets were so unique of their kind. And, then NASA discovered another solar system with planets revolving around a dwarf star which is much smaller in size than Sun.
Coming back to the Jupiter’s rings that were reportedly discovered in 1979 by Voyager 1 Spacecraft, let’s have a look at what these rings are all about.
Jupiter’s Rings
Jupiter has four rings whose names are as follows
- Halo Ring
- Main Ring
- Amalthea Gossamer Ring
- Theme Gossamer Ring
Halo Ring
It is the thickest, brightest and closest ring of Jupiter. This ring has a radius of 92,000 km and a width of 122,500 km.
Main Ring
This ring is only 4000 miles wide and consists of the dust particles and debris. Those who are fond of seeing Northern Lights might be attracted to this part of Jupiter as it is famous for collision with meteors. Hence, chances are high for the shiny, glorious and bright lights to be born here.
Gossamer Rings
Gossamer means thin substance and the part comes up to its name. This ring is made up of fine dust particles that seem to be oozing out. These rings are of two kinds- the first is the Amalthea Gossamer Ring and the second one is the Thebe Gossamer Ring. Both these rings span the radius of 129,000 km to 126,000 km.
How Jupiter’s Rings Originate
Phenomenon about the origin of the Jupiter’s rings is much interesting. These rings originated because of the meteors colliding with Jupiter’s moons and formation of the dust particles. So, Meteor Showers must be a common sight on Jupiter.
(Credit – NASAJuno)
Other Interesting Facts about Jupiter
Jupiter is merely composed of gases like helium and hydrogen which liquidity upon going deep down the bottom of the planet. Other notable things are the storms and hurricanes of the earth which are much more significant than those of Earth. Jupiter also has almost 63 moons.
