2006-10-03 19:00:38 · 8 answers · asked by rascal 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Its brighter because of its greater size and angle of which it is to the sun. Its angle is able to reflect more sun light off its surface making it brighter in the night sky
2006-10-03 19:05:09 · answer #1 · answered by ItsMeTrev 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Great question. Jupiter is 4 times as far away form the Sun as Mars so the sunlight intensity is only 1/16 as bright (inverse square law). Jupiter is about 6 times as far away from us as Jupiter (depending on the position it ranges from 8x down to 3x) so agian by the inverse square law, only 1/36 as much light reaches us. The average albedo (fraction of total light received that is reflected) of Jupiter is 0.43 and Mars is 0.16. Jupiter is 20 times the diamter of Mars for an area 400 times greater.
Put all the numbers together and the brightness of Jupiter coampared to Mars is: 400 * 0.43/0.16 /16/36 = 1.9. So Jupiter is typically twice as bright but be much brighter. At the times when Mars is closest, it is about the same brightness as Jupiter.
2006-10-03 19:14:20 · answer #2 · answered by Pretzels 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the first answerer is correct, but there are also times when Jupiter is closer to us than Mars is. all the planets orbit on the same plane in relasion to the sun (called the plane of the ecliptic) but we are not in synchronous orbit with them. Sometimes Mars is far away on the other side of the sun from here, and Jupiter is in the same place as the Earth, only further out.
2006-10-03 19:10:24 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jupiter is a larger planet and the gases there transmit more light than those in Mars. Also, Jupiter has more moons, i.e. more bodies to reflect light from the sun to the planet.
2006-10-03 19:11:16 · answer #4 · answered by Odie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
right now mars is on the opposite side of the sun...
the sun is in between us almost...
Jupiter is on the same side.
mars orbit is 2 earth years (roughly),
so we gain on mars and pass by it almost once every two years.
Jupiter takes a long time to go all the way around.
when Jupiter aligns with mars...
this is the dawning of the age of Aquarius!
LOL...
good night!
2006-10-03 19:39:05 · answer #5 · answered by dwh 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because the planet of Jupiter stands for beauty and love and those are the things that stand out the most to people when looking outward
2006-10-03 19:21:49 · answer #6 · answered by green 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
reflectivity...the atmosphere...but dont take my word for it i'm a drop out
2006-10-03 19:05:22 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Trevs right its much bigger
2006-10-03 19:06:08 · answer #8 · answered by sadoldgit 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋