Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. The mass of Jupiter is 2.5 times larger than all of the planet’s masses combined. Its diameter is eleven times larger than that of the earth. Despite this the Earth is significantly denser than Jupiter. This is because the volume of Jupiter is equivalent to 1,321 earths but is only 318 times more massive. Other objects in the solar system particularly the extra-solar planets are measured with “Jupiter Mass.”

Jupiter was the king of the gods in Roman mythology, so it is appropriate that this was the name given to the largest planet in our Solar System. Jupiter’s mass is two and a half times all of the other planets combined. Its density, however, is only one-fourth that of Earth. The reason for its low density is because the planet is a gas giant, along with Uranus, Neptune and Saturn. Jupiter is mainly composed of hydrogen and helium, although [...]

The only planet whose center of mass in relation to the Sun lies outside the volume of the Sun is Jupiter. The mean distance from the Sun to Jupiter is 778,000,000 kilometers. It takes Jupiter 11.86 years to orbit around the Sun, so a typical year on Jupiter is 11.86 Earth years. This forms a 5:2 orbital resonance with Saturn because it is 2/5 the orbital period of the planet. Jupiter‘s elliptical orbit is inclined 1.31 degrees The elliptical orbit [...]

Texts and descriptions are fine and dandy, but to see planet Jupiter for what it is is another thing altogether.  Enjoy these pictures of Jupiter.     Photo by: A. Kutyrev, D. Rapchun, J. Norris R. Canterna & R. Martin Creative Commons Photo by: J. Rayner (U. Hawaii), NSFCAM, IRTF, NASA Creative Commons  

Mass (kg): 1.90 x 1027 Diameter (km): 142,800 Mean density (kg/m3): 1314 Escape velocity (m/s): 59500 Average distance from Sun: 5.203 AU (778,412,020 km) Rotation period (length of day in Earth days): 0.41 (9.8 Earth hours) Revolution period (length of year in Earth years): 11.86 Obliquity (tilt of axis degrees) : 3.08 Orbit inclination (degrees): 1.3 Orbit eccentricity (deviation from circular): 0.048 Mean surface temperature (K): 120 (cloud tops) Visual geometric albedo (reflectivity): 0.44 Atmospheric components: 90% hydrogen,10% helium, .07% [...]

Jupiter’s equatorial diameter is 142,984 km Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, is 318 times larger than Earth. The orbital speed of Jupiter is 13.1 km/sec A year on Jupiter is equal to 11.9 Earth Years A day on Jupiter is equal to 9.8 Earth Hours Jupiter, sometimes called Jove, was the King of the gods in Roman mythology and the son of Saturn. Jupiter’s maximum distance from the Sun = 817 million km (508 million miles) Jupiter’s [...]