By Will DunhamWASHINGTON, Feb 4 (Reuters) – Jupiter, without a doubt, is the biggest planet in our solar system. But it turns out that it is not quite as large – by ever so small an amount – as scientists had previously thought.Using new data obtained by NASA’s robotic Juno spacecraft, scientists have obtained the most precise measurements to date of Jupiter’s size and shape. This is important information to gain a fuller understanding of this gas giant, including studying its complex interior structure.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Juno observations showed that Jupiter has an equatorial diameter of 88,841 miles (142,976 km), which is about 5 miles (8 km) smaller than previous measurements had indicated. The observations also showed that Jupiter’s diameter from north pole to south pole is 83,067 miles (133,684 km), about 15 miles (24 km) smaller than previously estimated.The planet, like our own, is not a perfect sphere, but rather a bit flattened – and, based on the new data, slightly more so than previously known. Jupiter is about 7% larger at the equator than at the poles. For comparison, Earth’s equator is only 0.33% larger than its diameter at the poles.The previous measurements of Jupiter were based on data gathered by NASA’s Voyager and Pioneer robotic spacecraft in the late 1970s. Juno, launched in 2011, has been orbiting Jupiter since 2016, transmitting raw data back to Earth. NASA extended the Juno mission in 2021, giving scientists the opportunity to carry out the type of observations needed in order to fine-tu …
