DISTANCE
FROM SUN:
484 million miles
REVOLUTION AROUND SUN: almost 12 years
ROTATION: almost 10 hours
DIAMETER: 88,850 miles
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE: -180°F
SATELLITES: 16
Jupiter
is the largest planet. In fact, it is so large that all the other planets
could fit inside it!
If it were a hollow ball, Jupiter could contain
more than one thousand Earths.
Jupiter has no solid surface. Consisting of mostly hydrogen and helium, it is the giant of the gas planets.
Jupiter appears striped because of its rapid rotation. Jupiter's fast spinning causes the clouds in its atmosphere to form colorful bands which are always changing. However, Jupiter's Great Red Spot is like a giant permanent storm or swirling gases more than three times wider than the Earth itself! At times bolts of lightening can be seen shooting through Jupiter's atmosphere.
Questions:
1. If you were living on Jupiter and you had just celebrated your 2nd
birthday party (McDonald's game room, of course), how old would you be in Earth
years?
2. If Jupiter were your home, what would you brag about to people who lived
on any of the other planets?
3. If you lived on Jupiter, how often would you see the Sun rise and set?
4. What causes Jupiter's colorful stripes?