Chapter 12

Why are Jupiter and Saturn flattened?

Suppose there were a narrow belt near Jupiter's equator that had a rotation period of \(9^{b} 45^{m}\). In which direction would the zonal winds blow in that belt relative to the rest of the equatorial region?

Why are oxygen compounds such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide extremely low in abundance in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn?

How do the pressure and temperature in the visible layers of the atmosphere of Jupiter compare with those at the surface of the Earth?

The large sizes and rapid rotations of Jupiter and Saturn result in very large Coriolis effects in their atmospheres. How are the large Coriolis effects on Jupiter and Saturn related to the appearance of their cloud features?

Why are there at least three separate cloud decks on Jupiter?

Why do the deepest parts of Jupiter's atmosphere that we can see have a bluish color?

What forms does hydrogen take in Jupiter from the surface to the center of the planet?

What would happen to the temperature at the Earth's surface if the Sun stopped shining? How about the atmosphere of Jupiter?

What did Voyager tell us about Saturn's rings that wasn't already known from telescopic observations from the Earth?

What is thought to be the nature of the spokes seen in Saturn's rings?

What happens to an asteroid that passes within the Roche distance of a planet?