JUPITER

The Giant Planet

Jupiter contains three times more mass than the other nine planets put together. It is mostly made of gases and liquids with a fairly small rocky core. The thick clouds at the top of its atmosphere reflect sunlight well. Most knowledge has been learned from space probe missions.

Jupiter's magnetic field is four thousand times stronger than the earth's. An ocean of hydrogen and metallic in liquid form surrounds Jupiter's small core. Jupiter's vast atmosphere is eight times thicker than earth's.

Jupiter's core is 63,000 degrees fahrenheit and the cloud cover is 220 degrees below zero.

Jupiter takes 9 hours 55 minutes 30 seconds to rotate on its axes. This fast spin cause high winds. As the gases in the atmosphere circle the planet they produce colorful belts and zones in the cloud tops. Giant storms are then created. The giant red spot is twice as big as earth. It is the biggest hurricane in the solar system.

Jupiter is 483.3 million miles from the sun and can fit earth inside of it 1,319 times. Jupiter has sixteen moons.

The diameter at the equator of Jupiter is 88,784 miles.