what is the largest planet in universe?

Answer 1

Largest Known Planet Discovered, Astronomers Announce
Brian Handwerk
for National Geographic News

September 14, 2006
Astronomers say they have discovered what appears to be an entirely new kind of planet, an extra-large gas giant unlike any known world in our solar system or beyond.

"This questions our understanding of how giant planets are formed and evolve," said Robert Noyes, a senior physicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA).




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The planet, dubbed HAT-P-1, is located some 450 light-years from Earth in the constellation Lacerta.

It is the largest planet ever discovered and boasts a radius nearly 1.4 times larger than Jupiter's.

HAT-P-1 is also the least dense of all known planets.

"This planet is about one quarter the density of water," said Gaspar Bakos, a Hubble fellow at CfA.

"In other words, it's lighter than a giant ball of cork. Just like Saturn, it would float in a bathtub if you could find a tub big enough to hold it, but it would float almost three times higher."

Unlike more familiar gas giants, including those in our solar system, HAT-P-1 does not appear to have a solid core.

(CfA scientists also announced today a new method for detecting life on other planets.)

Planet Poses "Unsolved Problem"

The planet's large size and low density can't be explained by current theories of giant planet formation.

Scientists suggest that additional heat in its interior could account for its "puffed-up" size, but as yet they can't explain how such heat could be generated.

Answer 2

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun, and is easily the largest planet in the solar system. It is orbited by sixteen moons, only four of which have significant size: Ganymede, Callisto, Io, and Europa. These are the Galilean Satellites, discovered by Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) in 1610!

Jupiter is referred to as a 'gas giant', meaning that it is nearly all atmosphere, with a relatively small solid core. This very deep atmosphere is composed mainly of hydrogen and helium, with the upper clouds being formed from droplets of ammonia. The visible surface of the atmosphere is very vivid, showing distinct features and weather systems. One such feature is the Great Red Spot, which has been identified as a whirling storm, rotating clockwise once every 12 days. Clearly visible, too, are bands, representing different currents occurring in the cool Jovian atmosphere. These can be seen to rotate, with the polar regions moving more slowly than the equatorial regions.

A Faint Ring Jupiter has a faint ring system, not visible from Earth. It was first discovered when the Voyager probes flew by, photographing it in the shadow behind the planet.

Answer 3

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. The reason why we will do not know if there are any larger planets in other solar systems is that planets do not have their own source of light, as stars do, they can only reflect light and that is pretty weak. It would be too weak and intermittent for us to be able to identify it with current equipment. Some one might be able to tell you the largest star in the universe though?

Answer 4

The largest planet in Solar System is Jupiter with 18.788 sq.m in Diameter
The largest planet in Universe is Krypton Andromeda

Answer 5

There is a planet in orbit around the star HD 41004 B that is currently believed to be a minimum of 18.4 times more massive than Jupiter! Check out the list below. The column named "Planet mass" is in Jovian units (1Mj = mass of Jupiter)

Answer 6

just as the theory of relavity nothing is the largest and nothing is the smallest, like that no planet is the largest. well! jupiter is the largest known planet in solar system.

Answer 7

tats an hard question since Jupiter is the largest planet on our solar system and there are millions of other galaxies in the universe. and there might be millions of planets in the universe which are bigger than our Jupiter.

Answer 8

up to our current technology and know how we do not know.
Jupiter is not the largest planet in the universe under current descoveries read the link below

Answer 9

That's not a question we are ever likely to discover the answer to - certainly not in our lifetimes!

Jupiter is the largest in our Solar System but that's as much as anyone can tell you!

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Answer 10

the largest planet in the universe is jupiter which is 132.14 times bigger than the earth