this post was submitted on 09 Nov 2026
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xkcd #3322: Dragonfly

Title text:

I'm excited for Dragonfly, because on the list of places in the solar system that I desperately want more pictures from, 'Titan's surface' is right up there at the top with 'Jupiter's atmosphere.'

Transcript:

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Source: https://xkcd.com/3322/

explainxkcd for #3322

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[–] 2ndDegreeOWO@lemmy.world 20 points 8 hours ago (3 children)

Ah, but what if you brought a large balloon, inflated it, and flew a helicopter inside the balloon?

[–] EarMaster@lemmy.world 4 points 6 hours ago

Jupiter is already on the list…

[–] valkyre09@lemmy.world 7 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Blowing my mind that Gas Giants are just big ole balloons

[–] Darkmuch@lemmy.world 10 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

It’s an inside out balloon! Gravity holds the atmosphere in, not a cloth sheet

[–] 2ndDegreeOWO@lemmy.world 8 points 6 hours ago

And I have a hard time believing that there isn't some solid or liquid (or maybe some other exotic state of matter, due to the heat and pressure) inner core way down in there, even if it's relatively tiny compared to the size of the planet.

Even if it was entirely made of gas when it formed, surely some materials would have fallen in over the eons that could stay solid/liquid at the pressure/temperature of a gas giant's core?

[–] kayzeekayzee@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 8 hours ago

Filling the balloon woth helium should keep it from hitting the ground and popping