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How large is Jupiter’s magnetosphere?
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Jupiter
Photograph of Jupiter taken by Voyager 1 on February 1, 1979, at a range of 32.7 million km (20.3 million miles). Prominent are the planet's pastel-shaded cloud bands and Great Red Spot (lower centre).
Jupiter’s magnetosphere is the largest permanent structure in the solar system, shaped like an extended teardrop.1
Its dimensions are vast:
* Sunward side: The Jovian magnetic field repels the solar wind, creating a bow shock approximately 3 million km (1.9 million miles) from the planet.1
* Nightside: An immense magnetotail stretches out to the orbit of Saturn, reaching a distance of 650 million km (404 million miles).1
These dimensions dwarf the Sun itself, which has a diameter of 1.4 million km (870,000 miles). The energy powering this massive region is derived from the planet’s rotation.1