Jupiter (disambiguation) facts for kids

Jupiter is the fifth planet from our Sun and the largest planet in our solar system. It's so big that all the other planets could fit inside it! Jupiter is a gas giant, meaning it's mostly made of gases rather than solid rock. It's a fascinating world with powerful storms, many moons, and faint rings.

The Planet Jupiter

Jupiter is a giant planet, much larger than Earth. It has a diameter of about 140,000 kilometers (87,000 miles), which is more than 11 times wider than Earth. It's also incredibly massive, weighing more than twice as much as all the other planets in our solar system combined.

What is Jupiter made of?

Jupiter is a gas giant, so it doesn't have a solid surface like Earth. Instead, it's mostly made of hydrogen and helium, the two lightest elements. Deep inside, the pressure is so intense that hydrogen acts like a liquid metal. Scientists believe Jupiter might have a small, rocky core at its very center, but this is still being studied.

Jupiter's Moons

Jupiter has a large family of moons – more than 90 have been discovered! The four largest and most famous moons are called the Galilean moons, named after Galileo Galilei who first saw them in 1610. These are:

• Io, known for its many active volcanoes.
• Europa, which might have a huge ocean of liquid water under its icy crust.
• Ganymede, the largest moon in our solar system, even bigger than the planet Mercury.
• Callisto, an ancient, heavily cratered world.

The Great Red Spot

One of Jupiter's most famous features is the Great Red Spot. This is a gigantic storm, like a hurricane, that has been raging for at least 350 years, and possibly much longer! It's so big that Earth could fit inside it. The Great Red Spot is a high-pressure system, and its winds can reach speeds of hundreds of miles per hour.

Exploring Jupiter

Many robotic spacecraft have visited Jupiter to study it up close. The Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 probes were the first to fly past it in the 1970s. Later, the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 missions gave us amazing pictures of Jupiter and its moons. The Galileo probe orbited Jupiter for eight years, sending back incredible information. More recently, the Juno spacecraft arrived at Jupiter in 2016 and is still studying its atmosphere, magnetic field, and interior.

Other Meanings of "Jupiter"

The word "Jupiter" can also refer to other things:

• Jupiter (mythology): In ancient Roman mythology, Jupiter was the king of the gods, similar to Zeus in Greek mythology. He was the god of the sky and thunder.
• Jupiter, Florida: A town located in the state of Florida, United States.
• PGM-19 Jupiter: A type of missile that was important during the Cuban Missile Crisis in the 1960s.
• "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity": A famous piece of music by Gustav Holst, part of his suite called The Planets.
• Jupiter': The name of the first disc of the album Stadium Arcadium by the band Red Hot Chili Peppers.
• Jupiter (company): A Japanese company that develops video games, including some Pokémon games.

See also

In Spanish: Júpiter para niños