Jupiter - Solar System

Planet Jupiter The Huge Ball Of Gas

Author: Leland Hess

Jupiter: The Enormous Planet With a lot of Gas

By Natalie Schnotz

The planet Jupiter is known as the fifth planet from the sun and also the largest in the solar system. Jupiter is known as a giant planet with a lot of gas ( and when I say gas I mean it's encompassed with huge quantities of hydrogen and helium gases). Because Jupiter does not actually have a solid surface, the planet is known as a gas giant. Beneath the planet's outer atmosphere, there exists a large liquefied ocean of hydrogen and water. (But, by ocean I don't mean the type of ocean it is possible to float a boat on because, remember, there isn't any surface.) Nothing divides the sea and atmosphere, the atmosphere just slowly gets thicker and thicker until it just becomes a part of the sky.

Think you know a ton with regards to the planet Jupiter? Listed below are ten fun facts about the gas giant that you may possibly not know.

1. What is in the Title?

Jupiter was named after the Roman God of sky and thunder, the king of the gods within their religion. Jupiter is more or less the Roman equivalent of Zeus - the ruler of all of the gods. Naming the 5th planet for the king of the gods is sensible; Jupiter hands down is the largest planet in the heavens … why wouldn't you name it after an individual with all the power?

2. That is One Enormous Planet.

It's tough to really comprehend precisely how big Jupiter is. Jupiter basically makes Earth appear to be a dwarf planet. If you have a ball that was about the size of a dime, Jupiter is close to the size of a soccer ball. About 1,300 Earths could fit inside Jupiter. Yep. It is THAT big.

3. There is a lot of Mooning Going on.

Astronomers have located at least 60 moons orbiting Jupiter. Galileo discovered the 4 largest and most well-known Jupiter moons - named Io, Europa, Ganymede and Calllisto - way back in 1610. Most of these moons are named after the daughters of the Roman god Jupiter. Four Jupiter moons are literally bigger than {the ex-planet Pluto|Pluto|the furthest planet from the sun, Pluto.

4. Holy Freezing Climate.

The temperature at Jupiter's cloud tops is approximately -148 °C. That suggests, if I have done my math right, it's about -234 Fahrenheit. Did you catch that? -234 Fahrenheit. Holy freezing. But, as you descend towards the planet, the temperature increases. So, not merely is Jupiter an extremely cold planet, it's additionally a really hot one. When you get to the very heart of the planet, scientists predict that the heat could possibly be reach as high as 36,000 Kelvin (that's 64,340 °F).

5. {{Bling, Bling. Jupiter Got The RingsJupiter Gots The RingsShowing Off The Bling With Jupiters Rings.

Bet you didn't know Jupiter has multiple rings. The planet actually has 3 thin rings around the equator. The rings are pretty light and can actually only been seen when Jupiter passes the Sun. The light coming from the Sun illuminates the smoke-sized particles and dust, allowing for us to witness Gossamer, Main and Halo ( that is what the rings are named) from Earth.

6. Jupiter's a fast a Quick MoverJupiter Has SpeedPlanet Jupiter Can MoveJupiter Can SpinJupiter Has Moves.

One would think a planet as huge as Jupiter would move really, really slowly. That isn't the case at all. The planet can rotate amazingly quickly - 9 hours and 55 minutes fast. But, even though it rotates really quickly, Jupiter takes almost 12 earth years to rotate completely around the Sun. Here is an intriguing fact, because Jupiter rotates so quickly, it's actually flattened out a bit and is also bulging at the equator.

7. Everything is Heavier on Jupiter.

If you ever are not very pleased with whatever you weigh now, you really wouldn't love the opportunity to weigh yourself on Jupiter. Because Jupiter is so big, it possesses a ton more gravity - making everything heavier. For those who weigh 140 pounds on Earth, you would weigh 370 lbs on Jupiter. (I think I'll stick to weighing myself on Earth.)

8. The Eye of Jupiter.

Jupiter is a pretty stormy planet. The truth is, it's so stormy that a lot of of the storms don't ever end, or at least that is what experts say. All of the storms within the atmosphere make Jupiter a pretty colorful planet.

Jupiter is recognized for having a 'Great Red Spot' - a spot where a giant storm has long been raging on for more than 300 years. This spot is usually called 'The Eye of Jupiter' due to the shape. Oh yeah, which 'spot' is bigger than the planet Earth, although researchers say it's shrinking. Astronomers do not know if or when it is going to completely disappear.

9. Jupiter is massive.

No, really, it's gigantic. Like really massive. Jupiter is 318 times the mass of Earth. In case you combined the mass of all of the other planets in the Solar System and times that by 2.5 you would then get the mass of Jupiter. But, here's something kind of intriguing and mind boggling at the same time. If Jupiter got anymore massive, it would actually begin to shrink. Adding more mass on the planet would make it more dense and force it to start pulling in on itself.

10. That's One Brilliant Planet.

Jupiter stands out as the brightest object within the Solar System … following Venus and also the Moon. Chances are, you've seen Jupiter in the sky and just had no idea that's what you were taking a look at. If you ever notice a really bright star up high in the sky, chances are you're watching Jupiter.

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About the Author

 Has been authoring for blogs and websites for the past several years. When she's not writing, you'll find her crafting, blogging or staring at Jupiter.