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The Solar System

The Planets - Jupiter.

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun.

The information below is included to let you know
a little more about the planets in our solar system.
You will not be expected to remember this information for the exam.

Jupiter spins on its axis once in about 10 hours. The surface
temperature of Jupiter varies between about 20°C and -130°C.

Jupiter is the largest planet. It is a
gas giant made mainly from hydrogen and helium (like stars).
Jupiter is not big enough to be a star but does give out more heat
than it receives from the Sun. Compression and
collision of the gas is thought to produce the extra heat.

Jupiter is the second brightest planet in the night sky, after Venus.
It has a magnetic field which is about
ten times as strong as the magnetic field on Earth.

Jupiter has at least sixteen moons.
Its largest moon is called Ganymede.
Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system,
being bigger than Titan and bigger than the planet Mercury.

Ganymede, Europa, Io and Callisto are called the Galilean moons.

(see Summary for further information).

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