The story for kids
This is Jupiter, the biggest planet. It's a real giant! If Earth were a grape, Jupiter would be a big watermelon. Jupiter has no solid ground. It's made of gas and clouds. Do you see the stripes? Those are layers of clouds. And the red spot is a huge storm that's bigger than our whole Earth. Jupiter has lots and lots of moons. The four biggest are Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
Facts
- It is so big that about 1,300 Earths would fit inside it.
- The Great Red Spot is a storm wider than the whole Earth.
- It is made of gas, so there is no solid ground to stand on.
Numbers
- Size (Earth = 1)
- 11
- Year
- 12 years
- One turn
- 10 hours
- Moons
- 90+
For grown-ups
This is Jupiter, the largest planet in the Solar System. It is so big that about one thousand three hundred Earths could fit inside it. Jupiter is made of gas; there is no solid ground to stand on. Can you see the red spot? That is the Great Red Spot, a giant storm wider than Earth that has been raging for at least one hundred and fifty years. Jupiter has more than ninety moons. The four largest are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. Io is the most volcanically active place in the Solar System, and beneath Europa's icy crust lies a hidden ocean of salty water.