| Jupiter is a massive planet, bigger than all the other planets combined together. It is the fifth planet in the Solar System and the fourth brightest object present in the sky. It is named after the king of Roman gods, also known as Zeus in Greece. Most of Jupiter’s satellites got their names from King Zeus’s daughters and lovers. Jupiter is also known as a planet of luck and has great astrological significance. Let’s have a look at some interesting facts about Jupiter.
Common Facts on Jupiter
- The diameter of the planet Jupiter is 88700 miles, which means it is more than 11 times that of Earth.The total mass of Jupiter is 1.9 x 1027 kg, which is almost 318 times the mass of Earth. Now that’s a really big number!It has a surface temperature of -185.8 Fahrenheit (152 Kelvin).But its core is estimated to have a temperature of about 20,000 Kelvins which is really very hot.One year on this planet is equivalent to around 12 years on Earth.It rotates extremely fast, taking only 9 hours 55 minutes for one rotation around itself. This planet has the shortest day as compared to any other planets in the Solar System.Jupiter has 63 moons known so far.The density of Jupiter is 1.326 g/cm? which is about ? of the Earth’s density.Jupiter has an intense and powerful magnetic field around itself called as the magnetosphere.The atmosphere of Jupiter is very stormy, consisting of intense wind patterns.
These were 10 facts about Jupiter which are known to many. Now let’s see some fun Jupiter facts.
Fun Facts about Jupiter
Jupiter being so vast, exerts an intense gravitational pull on things around it. This enormous gravitational pull attracts comets and other rocky substances towards its atmosphere, and so Jupiter is also called the ‘vacuum cleaner’ of the Solar System.
Jupiter is an enormous planet. But if it continues to get more massive, it would start shrinking. Wondering how this will happen! Here’s the theory behind it. Any additional mass on Jupiter will make it even more denser, pulling the mass towards itself. This will decrease the overall size of Jupiter even though its mass continues to increase. This is one of the weird facts about Jupiter.
Unlike other planets, Jupiter is not composed of mass and matter. It is an enormous ball of gases like hydrogen, helium and nitrogen. It has very little solid surface. The atmosphere is so dense on Jupiter, that it appears like a solid body.
Jupiter is an angry planet with a stormy surface. The Great Red Spot is a giant storm which is known to exist on Jupiter over hundreds of years. It keeps moving in an anticlockwise direction and is known to bear the coldest spot on Jupiter. So be careful not get stuck in this wild storm when you visit Jupiter!
We are all aware of Saturn having rings, but have you heard about Jupiter possessing some? Yes Jupiter too has rings around it, though they are much fainter than Saturn’s. They are possibly the materials ejected by Jupiter’s moons when they are struck by meteorites.
Jupiter can speak! Now isn’t that one of the cool facts about Jupiter? Jupiter emits electromagnetic voices throughout. These voices are recorded by the NASA voyager. So when you hear some unidentified voices, perhaps it’s Jupiter singing!
So these were some fun facts about Jupiter for kids. I’m sure they will enjoy reading this. Now let’s learn something about the moons of Jupiter.
Facts About Jupiter and its Moons
The first scientist to see any of Jupiter’s moons was Galileo Galilei. He discovered the four largest moons of Jupiter namely, Callisto, Ganymede, Europa and Io, also known as Galilean moons. Ganymede is the largest moon of the Solar System and is even larger than the planet Mercury. Callisto is farthest from Jupiter among the Galilean moons. It has the most cratered surface compared to any other moon in the Solar System, and is made up of ice, water and rock. Io is the moon closest to Jupiter and has about 80 volcanoes. It is bigger than the Earth’s moon. Europa, the smallest of the four, appears to have a smooth and bright surface. It is the mysterious of all and has fascinated scientists for long. Apart from these four moons of Jupiter, scientists have discovered many smaller satellites, which makes the total 63, till date.
These were some interesting Jupiter facts. Jupiter has a lot of activity happening on its surface and in the atmosphere. It is really enjoyable to watch Jupiter through a telescope. You can also see Jupiter with naked eyes as it is one of the brightest objects in the sky. Get a pair of binoculars and you will see the moons of Jupiter too. Doesn’t that sound interesting? So go to your terrace tonight, and you may be lucky enough to see Jupiter! Happy stargazing!