Jupiter was called a "cannibal": he devoured young planets and grew

It is widely believed that Jupiter is the oldest planet in the solar system. But scientists want to know

exactly how long it took to form it. The authors of the paper examined metals in the planet's atmosphere using the Juno Gravity Science experiment to answer this question. 

The researchers found that the atmosphere of Jupiternot as uniform as previously thought. There are more metals closer to the center of the planet than in other layers. In total, metals make up 11 to 30 Earth masses.

There are two mechanisms by which a gas giant like Jupiter acquires metals during its formation:

• During the accretion of small pebbles.
• During the accretion of planetesimals.

The unusually high content of heavy elements in its core indicates that Jupiter absorbed many planetesimals - large rocky bodies that could become the cores of Earth and Mars. 

Jupiter's "cannibalism" also explains its gigantic size. Previously, scientists assumed that billions of small cosmic rocky objects fell into its gravitational trap. 

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