At 34 light-minutes from Earth.
Jupiter is compose pincipaly of gas, 82 % of hydrogen and 17 % of helium. In superior layers of astmosphere of that giant, hydrogen and the others elements are in gaseous states, but, on the way down to the center, they become liquid, consequence of pression.
According to planetologues, the rocky node of Jupiter, is bigger then Earth itself, is surround by a layer of metallic hydrogen of 40 000 kilometers depth.
In a small telescope, we can observ several stretch in the equator way. The most brights are clouds in upper atmosphere principaly constitute of amoniac whereas darks stretchs are depper in atmosphere and higher in temperature.
Jupiter owns one invisible ring to Earth telescope.
At the equator, winds can blow up to 400 Km/h and atmosphere is compose with hydrogen and helium, with metan and ammoniac cristals in suspension.
An other caracteristic of Jupiter, is red spot. Observ for the first time in the middle of XVII century. It's a giant tornado who can contain 3 times planet Earth. The winds velocity on the edge of that red spot are about km/h. Since 300 years of observations, it never show lightness sign.
Jupiter owns more then fifteen satellites.
Because is chemical composition is realy similar of the Sun and because several observations confirm that Jupiter emit more energy that it receive from the Sun, many specialists think, that gaseous giant maybe a "missed" star. Not enough mass to initiate fusion nuclear reaction in is center, that planet had retain enough heat since is formation to continu, at this day again, to radiate enery.
Jupiter is the biggest planet in our solar system. That sphere is almost exclusively constitute of gaz and is diameter is more then 11 time Earth's diameter. Is solid node have a mass superior then the Earth.
In dark sky, Jupiter go up to superior brightness then the most brightness star. Considering is orbit include earth's orbit, it can be at the oposite side of the sun in the sky. By this matter, we can see it at midnight or at any other time of the night.
With binoculars, we can take a look is four bigger moons : IO, Europe, Ganymede and Callisto. Galilée discover them in 1609 with one of the first telescope. Today' binoculars are powerfull then Galilée telescope. If you observ Jupiter's moons an hour or more, you can see that they change position according to the planet; It take only some hour to observ those moons orbit around Jupiter.
A small telescope let us look at 2 or 3 darks stretchs on the surface of Jupiter. More stable is the air, more stretchs can be observ.
Voyager 1 and 2 spacecrafts fly over and send pictures of the planet. The bid red spot, with a diameter bigger then the Earth, is a tornado of clouds who goes on since hundreds years. Voyagers spacecrafts also send close-up of Jupiter's moons; many of them seem to be some world to discover. They are covert of mountains, craters, valleys and, in IO case, many actives volcanos.
| Maximal distance from the Sun (million of kilometers) | |
| Minimal distance from the Sun (million of kilometers) | |
| Medium distance from the Sun (million of kilometers) | |
| Medium distance from the Sun (UA) (Earth=1) | |
| Equator diameter (kilometers) | |
| Revolution | |
| West to east rotation | |
| Retrograde rotation | |
| Medium orbital velocity (kilometers per second) | |
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| Axies inclinaison (According to ecliptic) | |
| Extrem temperature on surface (Celsius degres) | |
| Atmosphere | Helium Amoniac Argon |
| Visibility | |
| Color | |
| Know satellite | |
| Rings | |
| Volume (Earth = 1) | |
| Mass (billion of billion of tons) | |
| Mass (Earth = 1) | |
| Density (Water = 1) | |
| Gravity on surface (Earth = 1) | |
| Mythology | |
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| Equatorial liberation velocity (km/s) | |
| Principal constituant of the atmosphere | He |