Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system, capable of holding all the other planets together. Jupiter is named after the king of the Roman gods. Jupiter's clouds have light colored bands known as zones and dark colored bands called belts. Owing to its intense gravitational pull, it attracts comets and other rocky materials towards its atmosphere. In effect, it is also known as 'solar system's vacuum cleaner'. Moreover, it is believed that Jupiter was a star, which failed to emit light. For some more interesting and fun facts about Jupiter, read on.
Interesting & Fun Facts about Jupiter
- In our solar system, the Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun.
- Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system.
- Jupiter is the fourth brightest object to be seen in the sky, after Sun, Venus and Mars.
- Though Jupiter is the largest planet, it rotates extremely fast on its orbit taking 9 hours 55 minutes Earth hours.
- Jupiter takes 12 Earth years to revolve around the sun.
- Unlike Earth, Mars, Venus and Mercury, Jupiter is not a terrestrial planet.
- Jupiter is a gaseous planet, which is held together by a massive gravity field.
- Jupiter primarily consists of hydrogen, nitrogen, helium and water.
- At the center, Jupiter has a small metal core made of liquid hydrogen, surrounded by vast expanse of hydrogen and helium gas.
- The atmosphere of Jupiter consists of intense wind patters, running horizontally across the planet.
- Jupiter's giant red spot is a storm, which is brewing for over 300 years.
- Jupiter has 16 big satellites and many other smaller satellites.
- Jupiter has the strongest pull of gravity amongst all the planets of the Solar System.
- Ganymede is the largest Galilean satellite of Jupiter.
- Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto are the largest Galilean satellites of Jupiter and are known so as they were discovered by Galileo in 1610.
- Jupiter has three thin rings around its equator, which are primarily made of dust.
- Jupiter's mass is 318 times lager than that of the Earth.
- The density of Jupiter is 1/4 to that of the Earth.
