Jupiter is not only the biggest planet in the Solar System. A new study of astronomers from Laurence Livermore’s Californian Laboratory, and the University of Munster in Germany, defines Jupiter as the oldest planet in the solar system, Space.com reports.

The new analysis of the Planet calculates that the core of Jupiter was 20 times larger than the Earth only 1 million years after the formation of the Sun. This is a fairly short time because young stars usually throw a lot of energy in their first years, which is enough to blow dust and gas to prevent the formation of planets. And that means that Jupiter was formed very quickly.

Scientists have tested the composition of iron meteorites that have fallen to Earth over the years. They checked the presence of various isotopes and found that they were most often from two sources – the Sun and another star. They have also got to the meteorite with a difference of 2 million to 3 million years and have been formed as early as a million years after the formation of the Solar System.

According to scientists, the most likely and logical explanation for finding isotopes from different sources for such a long period of time is the growth of a giant planet between them. The study indicates that it is the gas giant Jupiter. Originally, the planet grew pretty fast, but it slowed down. However, it was enough Jupiter to become a barrier between the two isotope sources. According to scientists, the rapid formation of Jupiter has also led to the absence of very large Earth-like planets near the Sun that are commonly found in other star systems.