Behold Jupiter, the giant of our solar system. More massive than all other planets combined, Jupiter rules a miniature solar system of 95 moons, hosts a centuries-old storm larger than Earth, and shields the inner planets from cosmic debris.
Jupiter is 11 times wider than Earth and 2.5 times more massive than all the other planets in the solar system combined.
A giant storm wider than Earth that has raged for at least 200 years, with winds exceeding 400 km/h.
Despite its size, Jupiter spins once every 9.9 hours, the fastest rotation of any planet, visibly flattening it at the poles.
Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, discovered by Galileo in 1610, include the most volcanic body and the largest moon in the solar system.
Jupiter's magnetic field is about 20,000 times stronger than Earth's and creates permanent polar auroras.
Jupiter's gravity deflects or captures many comets and asteroids, famously pulling in comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 in 1994.
Named for Jupiter, king of the gods and god of sky and thunder, fitting for the largest planet.
Known as Zeus, ruler of Mount Olympus. Jupiter's moons are named for figures from Zeus's many myths.
Identified with Marduk, the chief god of Babylon who brought order out of chaos.
Known as Brihaspati or Guru, the teacher of the gods, associated with wisdom and expansion in Vedic astrology.
Jupiter is well placed for months around opposition, which occurs every 13 months, shining brighter than any star.
Binoculars reveal the four Galilean moons as points of light. A small telescope shows cloud bands and the Great Red Spot.
The Galilean moons visibly change position night to night, and you can watch them transit, eclipse, and disappear behind Jupiter.
A 6-inch or larger telescope on a steady night reveals the dark belts, bright zones, and swirling festoons of Jupiter's atmosphere.
In astrology, Jupiter is the great benefic, the planet of expansion, luck, and wisdom. It shows where we grow, find opportunity, and develop faith in something larger than ourselves.
Where life opens up and opportunities multiply
The flow of fortune, optimism, and generosity
Higher learning, meaning-making, and belief
Jupiter is sometimes called a failed star because it is made mostly of hydrogen and helium like the Sun, but it would need to be about 80 times more massive for nuclear fusion to ignite in its core. It is a gas giant planet, not a star.
No. Jupiter has no solid surface. Descending into the planet, gas gradually becomes liquid metallic hydrogen under crushing pressure. Any spacecraft would be crushed and vaporized long before reaching the core.
The Great Red Spot is a giant anticyclonic storm in Jupiter's southern hemisphere, larger than Earth, that has been observed for at least 200 years. It has been shrinking in recent decades but remains the largest storm in the solar system.
Jupiter's immense gravity acts as a cosmic shield, deflecting or capturing many comets and asteroids that might otherwise strike the inner planets. Some scientists believe this protection helped life develop on Earth.