If we define an sea as just a large body of liquid , then the biggest ocean in the Solar System is inside Jupiter . Not that it would be anything like we are used to . Under enormous pressing and high temperature , hydrogen is in its metal smooth state , sloshing about the major planet ’s interior . This is responsible for the planet ’s strong magnetized field and its peculiarities .
And new research shows that it is peculiar indeed . Changes happening within a four - year period indicate there is more complexity inside the satellite , and watching from Juno over the last several year have connect what goes on in the standard pressure with magnetic anomaly .
At first approach , Jupiter ’s magnetic fieldis very similar to Earth ’s but 20 times strong . There is a dipole , which signify that there is a north and a Dixie , so the magnetic field course connect one pole to the other . But that is not all . Thevolcanic Sun Myung Moon Ioproduces a lot of plasm that move the magnetosphere of Jupiter , and there is a long magnetized band in the northerly cerebral hemisphere .
But a true crotchet is located around the equator . It is a immense , sort - of round part that was nickname the " Great Blue Spot " . The speckle is not actually blue , unlike Jupiter’sGreat Red Spot – the name arrive from the colour coding of magnetized fields , red for north , aristocratical for Confederate States of America .
In the latest depth psychology , researchers found an atmospheric honey oil associated with the Great Blue Spot . Some of Juno ’s late field have studied this region in particular and shown that there are periodic variations . A first hypothesis suggest that this might be related to convective stream deep within the metallic hydrogen sea . That would be expected to take centuries , but the changes seen here are right smart too fast .
With the wave - like fluctuations repeating every four year , the team is paint a picture two different speculation . The fluctuation could be do by vibration around the bloc of revolution of the satellite or byAlfvén wave , which are undulation actuate along the magnetic subject area line . The scenarios are very dissimilar , so the team hopes to determine more details to be able to tell between the two .
Junocontinues to produce observation of the essence to expand our understanding of the planet Jupiter and its mysterious interior . And with follow - up to this work , we might better understand the development of magnetised fields in elephantine planets .
The study is published in the journalNature .
