Gas Giant

Jupiter

Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System, with a mass 2.5 greater than all of the rest of the planets combined. Its iconic Great Red Spot is a giant storm that has raged for hundreds of years.

Equatorial Diameter

142,984 km

Surface Temperature

-120°C

Mass

.898 × 10^27 kg

Surface Gravity

25 m/s²

Rotation Period

9h 55m

Orbital Period

11.9 Years

Moons

95+ Confirmed

Planetary Structure & Atmosphere

Jupiter is a gas giant primarily composed of hydrogen and helium gas. Deeper down, immense pressure compresses hydrogen into a liquid state and eventually into exotic liquid metallic hydrogen. Its turbulent atmosphere is characterized by colorful cloud bands and massive swirling storms like the Great Red Spot.

Atmospheric Composition

Hydrogen ($H_2$)89.8%

Helium ($He$)10.2%

Methane ($CH_4$) & Ammonia0.1%

Cosmic Weight & Age Matrix

70 kg Human Weight

177.1 kg

2.53x Earth Gravity

20 Earth Years Equivalent

1.68 Years

Jupiter Orbital Years (11.86 Yrs)

Escape Velocity

59.5 km/s

5.32x Earth Escape Velocity

Scientific Discoveries

In terms of composition, Jupiter is the planet most like the Sun. It would only need to be 13 times more massive to become a brown dwarf.
Jupiter's rapid rotation, the fastest of any planet, causes high winds that form its distinct atmospheric bands and gigantic storms like the Great Red Spot.
Its magnetic field is 10 times stronger than Earth's, with a magnetic pole strength nearly 20,000 times stronger than our planet's.
The four largest moons are known as the Galilean moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar System, with a diameter greater than the planet Mercury.
Jupiter is the fourth brightest object in our skies after the Sun, Moon, and Venus. Because its orbit is outside Earth's, it always appears nearly fully illuminated from our perspective.
Its moon Europa is a prime candidate for life, believed to have a vast saltwater ocean under its icy shell.