Welcome to the planet Jupiter
This place is huge!



Jupiter

Planet Jupiter is the largest planet in our . Its mass is larger than all of the other planets in the  combined! Which is why the planet was named after Jupiter, the supreme ruler of all Roman gods.


Unlike the first four planets from the , Jupiter is a gas giant. The planet is made of mostly hydrogen and helium. Large swirling areas of these gases give the planet Jupiter its unique look. Including its famous Great Red Spot, which is believed to be a giant storm that has lasted hundreds of years! This anomaly can even be seen using a good telescope.


Even though Jupiter is such a large planet, its rotation is way quicker than Earths. One day on Jupiter is about 9.9 hours! However, since its distance is much further from the , a complete orbit takes much longer. One year on Jupiter takes approximately 11.9 Earth years.


Here are some additional facts about Jupiter:

*It is the 5th planet from the .

*Jupiter has at least 63 moons. I'm jealous!

*The planet was first discovered around 1610 by Galileo, using his homemade telescope!

*Jupiter is one of four gas planets in our . These four are sometimes called the "Jovian" planets.





 



footer for kids astronomy page

JupiterSaturnUranusNeptunePluto & the Dwarf PlanetsHome PageEarthThe MoonMarsVenusMercury