Jupiter

The Gigantic Planet

Jupiter is the first of the outer planets. It is the largest planet in our solar system, with a diameter of about 88,700 miles (142,700 km). It is more than 1000 times the size of the Earth and is 484,000,000 miles away from the sun. Jupiters gravity is about 2 and a half times that of the Earths. The planet has a thin ring and 16 moons. Jupiter rotates in less than ten hours, but its revoluion around the sun takes 11.9 earth years. The outer layer of the planet is mostly hydrogen and helium gas. The cloud tops are cold, about -180 degrees F (-120 degrees C). About 620 miles down, the hydrogen changes in to liquid form. This hydrogen ocean is 12,500 miles deep with a temperature of more than 18,000 degrees F. Lower down jupiters layer the hydrogen becomes molten like metal.

Winds up to 275 mph (450km/hr) swirl the cloud cover into colored patterns. A large eye shaped area named the Great Red Spot is a storm more than three times the size of the Earth. This storm has been raging for more then 300 years. The Red Spot is about 14,000 km wide and about 40,000 km long. It travels completely around the the planet every six days. Beneath the thick clouds, Jupiter is a great, spinning ball of liquid ammonia and methane gases. Some of Jupiters moons include Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Jupiter was the chief Roman god and thus the named for it is the largest planet.

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