When you see a picture of the planet Jupiter, you see bands of colour, the red spot etc. But if the planet outter is mainly gas, why hasn't the gas mixed completely and left the planet appearing as a single colour?
If I took several colours of paint and mixed them, you'll see colour swirles, but eventually I'll be left with one colour. Ok, Jupiter is a very large planet, but surely over millions of years the colours should have murged?
2007-10-22 05:43:03 · 5 answers · asked by IanQuigley 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Why the colors?
Spectroscopic observations (analysis of light) + calculations tell us what the clouds are made of:
Ammonia (NH3) crystals in top layer.
Ammonium hydrosulfide (NH4SH) crystals in middle layer.
Water ice in lowest layer.
The colors seem to be associated with temperature.
White "zones" are higher and cooler.
Dark "bands" are lower and warmer.
But just what chemicals cause the colors is something of a mystery.
We can understand the basic zone/band structure as a result of convection.
Recall that Jupiter is hot inside.
Hot gases rise.
They cool.
Cool gases fall.
This happens on Earth too.
2007-10-22 06:00:12 · answer #1 · answered by m.charlee 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There's a couple of factors involved; first, is Jupiter's rapid rotation, which smears the atmospheric effects into bands. We see that to a degree, here on Earth, with the layers of prevailing winds & doldrums, running in bands around our planet.
Next, is the heat density is skewed by it's rotation also - creating bands of gas of different densities, that don't readily mix. For them to mix, the heat & rotation would both need to be reduced.
2007-10-22 06:15:52 · answer #2 · answered by quantumclaustrophobe 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was told that it has a lot to do with the fact that Jupiter rotates much faster at the equator than at the poles (differential rotation) and that that keeps the different gasses 'seperated' according to their masses.
Doug
2007-10-22 05:57:35 · answer #3 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When you see a container with rocks and sand in it, and you sift it back and forth, do the rocks and sand mix together? Or do they seperate?
The planet jupiter does just this. You have your answer my friend!
2007-10-22 12:33:13 · answer #4 · answered by unknown user 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they are earth sized storm bands that move around jupiter
different colors probably caused by the upwelling of heavier gases in the deeper atmosphere.
2007-10-22 05:56:02 · answer #5 · answered by AlCapone 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋