Difference Between Earth and Jupiter (With Table)

Planet earth is placed between Venus and Mars. Earth is full of greenery and water. That’s why it is the only planet in our solar system which supports life. Earth takes 365 days to go around the sun. It comes under the rocky planets some others are Mercury, Venus, and mars.   

Jupiter is the fifth planet in terms of distance from the sun. Planet Jupiter comes after mars and before Saturn. According to Roman mythology, Jupiter was considered as greatest of the gods and one who ruled over other gods and human beings. Jupiter was also referred to as the God of the weather and the sky. 

Comparison Table Between Earth and Jupiter 

What is Earth? 

Earth is the only astronomical object in the solar system which harbors and supports life. When it comes to its shape, it is nearly spherical. Due to rotation, around the equator, it is bulging and flatters at the poles. Earth is mostly composed of iron, oxygen, silicon, magnesium, sulfur, nickel, calcium, aluminum, and other elements. Nearly all oxides are the most common rocks which constitute crust. 

Earth’s rigid outer layer of the lithosphere can be divided into several tectonic plates. Many millions of years ago they migrated across the surface. Earth’s interior includes a solid iron of inner core, outer code which is in liquid and generates earth’s magnetic field. It also includes a convective mental which helps to drive plate tectonics. 

Earth’s surface is consists of islands and continents with an approximation of 29.2%. On the other hand, the rest 70.8% of the earth is covered with water (seas, oceans, gulfs, lakes, and other water bodies). Polar regions are mostly covered with ice. Nitrogen and oxygen cover most of the Earth’s atmosphere. Tropical regions receive more solar energy as compared to polar regions. 

Latitude is not the only factor that determines the climate of a region. Proximity to moderating oceans and elevation also determine the climate of a region. To regulate the temperature greenhouse gases also play an important role. Severe weather occurs in most areas such as tropical cyclones which greatly impact life. 

What is Jupiter? 

The name of planet Jupiter is on the basis of the King of Gods, the Roman God Jupiter just because of its size. Jupiter is a gas giant and its mass is more than any other planet in the solar system. But it has slightly less mass than the sun. A powerful magnetosphere and a faint planetary ring system are surrounding Jupiter.   

Jupiter is essentially composed of hydrogen and helium. It is full of heavier elements at the rocky core but it lacks a solid surface that is well defined. Jupiter has an oblate spheroid shape as at the equator there is a bulge. It has 80 moons that are discovered and there is a possibility that it has many more. Among the earth’s brightest natural objects in the night sky, Jupiter stands at third position after the moon and Venus.  

Jupiter is composed of liquid and gas rather than solid. Great Red Spot (a persistent anticyclonic storm) is its best-known feature which has existed since 1831. According to mathematical models, it is this stable storm and the permanent feature of Jupiter. This spot is even larger than the earth.  

The first spacecraft which visited Jupiter was pioneer 10 in December 1973. Then Voyager flyby in 1979 and Galileo orbiter in 1995 arrived at Jupiter. Later, the New Horizons was visited in 2007. The latest robotic spacecraft namely Juno hit Jupiter in July 2016. 

Main Differences Between Earth and Jupiter 

1. Earth is at the third position from the sun and known as terrestrial planet. On the flip side, Jupiter is at the fifth position from the sun and called as Jovian planet. 
2. Earth has 24 hours a day. On the other hand, Jupiter has 10 hours a day. Which simply means that Jupiter rotates much faster as compared to earth around the sun. 
3. When it comes to mass, earth is much lighter as compared to Jupiter. This is because Jupiter’s diameter is 10 times bigger and 300 times heavier compared to earth.  
4. The planet earth has ample of water and other factors which in return support life and becomes habitable planet. Jupiter does not support life and thus, a non-habitable planet. 
5. In terms of matter, earth is a planet which is full of solid rocks. Whereas Jupiter is made up of liquid and gas but it is considered as gaseous planet. 

Conclusion 

So, it can be concluded that earth and Jupiter are completely two different planets. But the similarity is that they are part of the solar system. They both revolve around the sun and plays their role in the solar system. Earth is a terrestrial planet whereas Jupiter is a Jovian planet. 

In terms of mass, no planet can beat Jupiter its mass is 300 times heavier than earth while its diameter is ten times more than earth. It has a surface area that is 100 times the earth and 1,000 times greater volume too. But still, Jupiter is not capable to support life whereas earth does due to its physical characteristics. Jupiter is a gaseous planet whereas earth is solid. So, there is no competition between both of them. 

References 

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0009254194001404
2. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=8GcGRXlmxWsC&oi=fnd&pg=PA35&dq=jupiter&ots=sJbsl1s19i&sig=4QE0Nk6JKbf1hFdm6Lv75Dftlvc