The core of Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, has been a mystery to scientists for years. It is so dense and incredibly hot. For decades, scientists believed that Jupiter’s mysterious “hazy” core was formed as a result of a giant collision in the first stages of the planet’s formation. According to this theory, Jupiter swallowed another early planet, the remains of which became about half of its core.
But a new study, published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, casts serious doubt on this theory. An international research team, modeling possible scenarios for giant collisions, found that it is simply impossible to obtain a core like Jupiter after such collisions, because the planet’s core would have to be built up layer by layer.
Scientists now propose that the planet’s core formed in a slow and gradual process, when, over time, it collected both heavy and light elements. The exact answer remains unclear, but scientists are confident that Jupiter’s core will keep its secrets for a long time to come.
