Did a planet whack Jupiter and get swallowed? | Explained News, The Indian Express

Did a planet whack Jupiter and get swallowed? | Explained News, The Indian Express

By Express News Service |New Delhi |Updated: August 29, 2019 6:57:59 am

Did a planet whack Jupiter and get swallowed?

One new study suggests that 4.5 billion years ago, when the Solar System was still young, Jupiter received a massive whack from a planet still being formed, and swallowed it up.

Artist’s impression of a collision between a young Jupiter and a massive, still-forming protoplanet. Astrobiology Center, Japan, via Rice University

Juno, the NASA probe orbiting Jupiter since 2016, has been sending back information that are giving scientists new insights into the evolution and structure of the planet. One new study suggests that 4.5 billion years ago, when the Solar System was still young, Jupiter received a massive whack from a planet still being formed, and swallowed it up. Another study looks at the reasons why the “stripes” on Jupiter do not run deep into its surface.