Planet 5 of 8
Jupiter
The storm king
More massive than every other planet combined, Jupiter is a churning ball of hydrogen whose gravity has shaped the architecture of the entire Solar System.
Quick facts
- Type
- Gas giant
- Distance from Sun
- 5.2 AU
- Diameter
- 139,820 km
- Mass
- 317.8 × Earth
- Surface gravity
- 24.79 m/s²
- Day length
- 9.9 hours
- Year length
- 11.9 Earth years
- Moons
- 95
- Average temperature
- -110 °C
- Composition
- Mostly hydrogen and helium with a possible dense core
Fun facts
- The Great Red Spot is a storm wider than Earth, raging for centuries.
- It has the shortest day of any planet, under 10 hours.
- Its moon Europa likely hides a salty ocean under ice.
- Jupiter has faint rings made of dust from its small moons.