Jupiter

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun, and is the largest planet in the Solar System. Jupiter is almost entirely made of gas, which separates into latitudinal bands. The different bands interact violently, and cause atmospheric storms that are visible from space. The largest of these storms is called the Great Red Spot, and has been observed on the planet for centuries.¹

Fast Facts

1. Largest planet in the Solar System
2. Lacks a solid, rocky crust like Earth
3. Discovered in ancient times
4. Named after the king of the Roman pantheon
5. Radius: 71,492 kilometers (11 times Earth's radius)
6. Circumference: 449,197 kilometers
7. Surface area: 62.8 billion square kilometers (122 times Earth's)
8. Mass: 1.89x10²⁷ kilograms (318 times Earth's mass)
9. Average distance from the Sun: 7.8 million kilometers
10. 63 known moons in its orbit²
11. Atmospheric Composition:
    • Hydrogen: 89.8%
    • Helium: 10.2%
    • Trace amounts of methane, ammonia, hydrogen deuteride, ethane, water³

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