About Jupiter
Welcome to Jupiter! Jupiter is a gas giant. It is the largest planet in the solar system with a width 11 times wider than Earth. In fact, if Earth was the size of a nickel, Jupiter would be a basketball! It is the fifth planet from the sun, with a chilly surface temperature of around -160°F or -110°C. Although the surface temperatures are quite cold, the core is extremely hot with temperatures up to 90,000°F. Its length of day is the shortest in the solar system, with a length of just under 10 hours. However, a single year on Jupiter is a whopping 12 years in Earth time.
Jupiter has no solid surface to land on, and if you tried to fly through it, the extremely hot internal temperatures and high pressures would vaporize any spacecraft. However, its beautiful landmarks make it a great planet to view and visit from a distance! The “surface” is made of swirling gas and liquid that has beautiful colors and unique patterns. Jupiter actually has the largest ocean in the solar system. The hydrogen gas it is made of becomes compressed into a liquid due to pressures within the planet. Jupiter is mainly made out of hydrogen and helium, which is a similar composition to the sun. However, despite containing the ingredients of a star, Jupiter was never massive enough to become one.
Jupiter has many different attractions such as its dozens of discovered moons, its beautiful bands of storms, and even auroras near its poles! Come explore Jupiter today!