{"id":3674,"date":"2026-02-09T01:03:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T01:03:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/terrarara.com.br\/en\/?page_id=3674"},"modified":"2026-02-09T01:03:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T01:03:11","slug":"jupiter-e-menor-e-mais-achatado-do-que-imaginavamos-revela-a-sonda-juno","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/terrarara.com.br\/en\/?page_id=3674","title":{"rendered":"Jupiter is smaller and flatter than we thought, reveals juno probe"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Jupiter imaged by the Juno spacecraft, with the shadow of the massive moon Ganymede to the left. Data from Juno suggests that Jupiter is flatter than previously thought, according to a new study. (Image credit: Image data: NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/SwRI\/MSSS Image processing by Thomas Thomopoulos \u00c2\u00a9 CC BY)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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\r\n\tdoi.org\/10.1038\/s41550-026-02777-x<\/a>
Credibility<\/a>: 9<\/font>8<\/font>9<\/font>
#J\u00c3\u00bapiter<\/a><\/p>

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\r\n\tA recent discovery is prompting textbook updates: the largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter, is slightly smaller and flatter at the poles than previously believed<\/strong><\/p>

These new, much more precise measurements come from data collected by NASA’s Juno probe, which has been orbiting the planet since 2016.\r\n<\/p>

\r\nFor a long time, Jupiter’s dimensions were based on observations made about 50 years ago by the Pioneer and Voyager probes.<\/p>

\r\nAt that time, they used radio beams to estimate its size, but the amount of data was limited.<\/p>

\r\nNow, with Juno making numerous close passes and collecting a huge amount of information-especially in recent years-scientists have been able to refine everything with impressive precision, adjusting measurements by hundreds of meters.\r\n<\/p>

\r\nNew calculations show that Jupiter’s polar radius (from the center to one of the poles) is approximately 66,842 km, about 12 km less than the previous value.<\/p>

\r\nThe equatorial radius (from the center to the equator) is approximately 71,488 km, about 4 km smaller than previously estimated.<\/p>

\r\nIn terms of diameter, this means the planet is about 8 km narrower at the equator and approximately 24 km more “flattened” between the poles.\r\n<\/p>

\r\nThese small differences are very important.<\/p>

\r\nJupiter is not a perfect sphere: its very rapid rotation (a day lasts less than 10 hours) causes it to expand at the equator and flatten at the poles, an effect called oblateness.<\/p>

\r\nFurthermore, strong atmospheric winds and the planet’s internal structure, with less dense outer layers, influence this shape.<\/p>

\r\nThe Juno probe measured how radio signals bent as they passed through the atmosphere and when they were blocked by the planet, allowing the inclusion of these wind effects and improving the models.\r\n<\/p>

\r\nWith these updates, models of Jupiter’s interior now better match gravity data with atmospheric observations.<\/p>

\r\nThis helps scientists better understand how this gas giant works internally.<\/p>

\r\nSince Jupiter was likely the first planet to form in the solar system, studying its characteristics brings us closer to understanding how the entire system-including Earth-arose and evolved.<\/p>

\r\nThe findings also help interpret data from similar giant planets found in other star systems.\r\n<\/p>

\r\nUltimately, while Jupiter remains by far the largest planet in our solar system, it has been found to be somewhat more compact and flattened than previously thought in textbooks.<\/p>

\r\nScience advances, and with it, our view of the universe becomes more precise and fascinating.\r\n<\/p>

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Astronomers have found an earth-sized planet that may seem promising at first glance, but hides a serious temperature problem#HD137010b<\/a>

Located about 146 light-years away, this world, called HD 137010 b, orbits a star similar to our Sun, although cooler and less bright pic.twitter.com\/P5eopMZaaj<\/a><\/p>— Rare Earth (@rareearth0) February 7, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>