Jupiter

Official Name: Jupiter

Distance from the Sun: 5.1 AU

Mass: 1.898 x 10 27 kilograms

Myth: Jupiter is named after the Roman god Jupiter. He was the king of the Roman gods. No one knows for sure who discovered the planet, but it was known in ancient times. The moons that orbit Jupiter are supposedly named after beings Jupiter associated with. In Roman mythology, Jupiter was the king of heaven and Earth and was also known as the god of justice. He was named king to overthrow the god Saturn and the Titans.

Interior Physical Properties: The composition of Jupiter is similar to the Sun. It is mostly made out of hydrogen and helium gas. It does not have a true surface. There are theories that Jupiter might have a solid inner core, but it would only be about the size of planet Earth. The swirls and stripes on the planet’s appearance are actually cold, windy clouds of ammonia and water. Jupiter is easily recognized for The Great Red Spot located on the southern part of the planet.

Atmosphere: In a deep region of the atmosphere, the pressure and temperature are greater. This heighten pressure and temperature compresses the hydrogen into a liquid. The amount of the liquid hydrogen is enormous and is considered the largest ocean in the solar system.

Ring Properties: Jupiter’s ring system was discovered in 1989 by Voyager 1. These rings were a surprise to discover. They are composed of small dark particles that are difficult to see when backlit by the sun. There are theories that the rings were formed as a result of dust floating around from interplanetary meteoroid crashes near Jupiter’s smaller moons.

Number of Moons: Jupiter has a total of 79 moons. 53 are confirmed and 26 provisionary, meaning waiting for confirmation. Jupiter’s four largest moons are Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.

Notable Moon Info: Callisto is the fourth largest moon orbiting Jupiter. It was discovered by Galileo Galilei and is considered the last Galilean moon of Jupiter. Callisto has a cratered surface. There are theories that Callisto may also be home to an underground ocean. It is uncertain if there is life in this ocean because the surface of the moon is old. There is a current mission in development to go visit Callisto and get more information about this and two other icy moons of Jupiter.

Mission Overview: The mission Juno launched in August 2011. Its mission was to study Jupiter from polar orbit for one year. The objectives of the Juno mission were to investigate (1) the formation and origin of Jupiter’s atmosphere and the potential migration of planets through the measurement of Jupiter’s global abundance of oxygen and nitrogen; (2) variations in Jupiter’s deep atmosphere related to meteorology, composition, temperature profiles, cloud opacity, and atmospheric dynamics; (3) the fine structure of Jupiter’s magnetic field; (4) the gravity field and distribution of mass inside the planet; and (5) Jupiter’s three dimensional polar magnetosphere and aurorae. The mission is planned to last 37 obits. At the end of the mission, Juno will be deorbited and burn up in Jupiter’s atmosphere.