JUPITER
THE GRANDEST PLANET
Eleven Earths could fit across Jupiter’s equator. If Earth were the size of a grape, Jupiter would be the size of a basketball. FIFTH PLANET FROM OUR STAR Jupiter orbits about 484 million miles from our Sun. Earth is about 91 million miles from the Sun. SHORT DAY/LONG YEAR Jupiter rotates once about every 10 hours, but takes about 12 Earth years to complete one orbit of the Sun. WHAT'S INSIDE Jupiter is a gas giant and so lacks an Earth-like surface. If it has a solid inner core at all, it’s likely only about the size of Earth. MASSIVE WORLD, LIGHT ELEMENTS Jupiter's atmosphere is made up mostly of hydrogen (H2) and helium (He). WORLDS GALORE Jupiter has more than 75 moons. RINGED WORLD In 1979 the Voyager mission discovered Jupiter’s faint ring system. All four giant planets in our solar system have ring systems. |
EXPLORING JUPITER
Nine spacecraft have visited Jupiter. Seven flew by and two have orbited the gas giant. Juno, the most recent, arrived at Jupiter in 2016.
INGREDIENTS FOR LIFE?
Jupiter cannot support life as we know it. But some of Jupiter's moons have oceans beneath their crusts that might support life.
SUPER STORM
Jupiter's Great Red Spot is a gigantic storm that’s about twice the size of Earth and has raged for over a century.
Nine spacecraft have visited Jupiter. Seven flew by and two have orbited the gas giant. Juno, the most recent, arrived at Jupiter in 2016.
INGREDIENTS FOR LIFE?
Jupiter cannot support life as we know it. But some of Jupiter's moons have oceans beneath their crusts that might support life.
SUPER STORM
Jupiter's Great Red Spot is a gigantic storm that’s about twice the size of Earth and has raged for over a century.