A recent study suggests that Jupiter was once twice its current size and had a magnetic field 50 times stronger about 3.8 million years after the formation of the first solid materials in the solar system.
The study, published in Nature Astronomy, was conducted by planetary scientists Konstantin Batygin from Caltech and Fred C. Adams from the University of Michigan, aiming to understand Jupiter's early evolution and its impact on the solar system.
By analyzing the orbits of Jupiter's inner moons, Amalthea and Thebe, researchers calculated Jupiter's size and magnetic field strength during the disappearance of gas around the sun, revealing Jupiter's past volume equal to over 2,000 Earths.
The study's unique approach, based on measurable data like moon movement and angular momentum, provides new insights into Jupiter's early history and the solar system's formation, offering a significant leap in understanding the origins of our planetary system.