Jupiter Could Make Earth A Paradise Or A Frozen Wasteland, Say Scientists

Science Jupiter Could Make Earth A Paradise Or A Frozen Wasteland, Say Scientists Jamie Carter Senior Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I inspire people to go stargazing, watch the Moon, enjoy the night sky Following New! Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories. Got it! Sep 27, 2022, 08:00pm EDT | New! Click on the conversation bubble to join the conversation Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Illustration comparing the size of Earth (left) with the planet Jupiter.

Jupiter is the fifth planet . . .

[+] from the Sun, with an average distance from it of 5. 2 times the Earth-Sun distance. Being a fluid world of mostly hydrogen and helium, astronomers label it (along with Saturn) a gas giant.

With a diameter of 11. 2 times that of the Earth, Jupiter is the Solar Systems largest planet. getty “I don’t think we were thrown out of the Garden of Eden.

Just look around. We’re still in it, particularly when you compare the Earth with the Moon. ” It’s hard to disagree with the words of late Apollo moonwalker Alan Bean , but as astronomers search for Earth-like habitable worlds is our own planet as habitable as it could be? No, say scientists, who suggest in a new paper published in the Astronomical Journal that changes in Jupiter’s orbit could make Earth more hospitable to life than it is today.

However, the giant planet’s future movements could also make Earth less habitable largely by affecting its tilt. Our planet contains an estimated 8. 7 million species, but vast swathes of its polar regions are lightly inhabited.

“If Jupiter’s position remained the same, but the shape of its orbit changed, it could actually increase this planet’s habitability,” said Pam Vervoort, UCR Earth and planetary scientist and lead author of the study, which used computational simulations and modeling of the solar system. This is how it could work. Earth orbits the Sun on a slightly (but only slightly) elliptical path.

If Jupiter shifted in its own orbit then the gravitational effect could push Earth into a more elongated elliptical orbit. Earth would then sometimes get closer to the Sun that it ever does now, which could warm-up the polar regions—and make them more habitable. “Many are convinced that Earth is the epitome of a habitable planet and that any change in Jupiter’s orbit, being the massive planet it is, could only be bad for Earth,” said Vervoort.

“We show that both assumptions are wrong. ” MORE FOR YOU New Research Finds A Connection Between Domestic Violence And These Two Personality Disorders This Scientist Helps Andean Forests And Ecuador’s Women In STEM Exceptional Fossil Preservation Suggests That Discovering Dinosaur DNA May Not Be Impossible A habitable zone, shown in green here, is defined as the region around a star where liquid water, an . .

. [+] essential ingredient for life as we know it, could potentially be present. NASA/JPL-Caltech However, the same study found that if Jupiter moved closer to the Sun it would make Earth tilt more, which would have the effect of making large sections of the Earth’s surface dip below freezing.

“It’s important to understand the impact that Jupiter has had on Earth’s climate through time, how its effect on our orbit has changed us in the past, and how it might change us once again in the future,” said Stephen Kane, UCR astrophysicist and study co-author. The study was largely designed to inform exoplanet researchers currently looking for planets around other stars and judging their habitability. Whether exoplanets are tilted toward or away from a star isn’t something that scientists can tell with existing telescopes, but it’s important because the part of the planet tilted away from the star gets less energy, causing it to be colder.

“The first thing people look for in an exoplanet search is the habitable zone, the distance between a star and a planet to see if there’s enough energy for liquid water on the planet’s surface,” said Kane. “Having water on its surface is a very simple first metric and it doesn’t account for the shape of a planet’s orbit, or seasonal variations a planet might experience. ” Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.

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