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
Jupiter is composed primarily of gaseous and liquid matter, meaning it has no true surface. Instead, the atmosphere gradually transitions from gas to liquid as temperature and pressure increase toward the planet's center. Below the atmosphere is a mantle of surrounding liquid hydrogen, which is responsible for Jupiter's massive magnetic field. The planet is thought to have a dense, solid core, but its exact composition is unknown.
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.