Our solar system has sun information and is rounded by 9 planets. The nine planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. The planets Saturn and Neptune and Pluto are the nine. Jupiter is the fifth place from the sun to be the biggest solar system planet known as a giant. Scroll for interesting Jupiter planet facts.
Jupiter Planet Facts For Kids
There’s a lot about Jupiter that you’ll find interesting. Here are some facts about Jupiter for kids, mixed with some fun facts about Jupiter to broaden your knowledge of the biggest planet.
1. The ancient Babylonians recorded Jupiter’s first sighting in around 7th or 8th BC
It was around seventh or eighth century BC. Jupiter is named after the Roman god-king. It represented Zeus, the thunder god, for the Greeks. Jupiter was seen by the Mesopotamians as the god Marduk and patron of Babylon’s city. This planet was seen by Germanic tribes as Donar or Thor.
2. Jupiter has the shortest day
The planet is rotating very rapidly, turning on its axis once every 9 hours and 55 minutes. This rapid rotation is also causing the planet’s flattening effect, which is why it has an oblate shape.
3. There’s a thin ring system around Jupiter
Its ring consists mostly of dust particles from some of the moons of Jupiter during comet and asteroid impacts. The ring system starts approximately 92,000 km above the clouds of Jupiter and reaches over 225,000 km from the planet. The rings are about 2,000-12,500 km thick somewhere.
4. So far, eight spaceships have visited Jupiter
They are Pioneer 10 and 11, Voyager 1 and 2, Galileo, Cassini, Ulysses and the mission of New Horizons. Future missions are also planned to focus on Jupiter’s Jovian moons–Europa, Ganymede and Callisto–and their potential oceans on the ground.
5. Jupiter’s moon Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system
Sometimes Jupiter’s moons are called Jovian satellites, the biggest of which are Ganymede, Callisto Io, and Europa. Ganymede measures 5,268 km, making it larger than Mercury’s planet.
6. Jupiter, once every 11.8 Earth years, orbits the Sun
This means that the planet appears to move very slowly in the sky when viewed from Earth. Moving from one constellation to the next takes months for Jupiter.
7. Jupiter’s interior is made of rock, metal, and hydrogen compounds
Below the huge atmosphere of Jupiter (mainly made of hydrogen) are layers of compressed hydrogen gas, fluid metal hydrogen, and a core of ice, rock, and metals.
8. Jupiter has a very strong magnetic field
Magnétal fields can prevent debris and solar wind from entering the atmosphere of the planet. Jupiter has a magnetic field 20 times as large as the Earth’s. Which such a strong magnetic field can deflect solar winds at 3 million kilometers.
9. The Great Red Spot is a huge storm on Jupiter
Due to Jupiter’s rapid rotation, the planet’s atmosphere is changing quickly. There is a powerful cloud coverage surrounding the planet and powerful storms is constantly raging that is also known as the ‘ Great Red Spot ‘ of Jupiter.
10. Jupiter has unique cloud features
Jupiter’s upper atmosphere is split into cloud belts and areas. It consists mainly of ammonia, sulfur, and the combinations of the two compounds.
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot
The Great Red Spot, located 22 ° south of the equator of Jupiter, is a storm that has raged for at least 186 years. In fact, the upper estimates suggest that this red and turbulent storm may have existed for more than three and a half centuries. In the 17th century, when telescopes were first used, a gigantic red spot was seen on Jupiter. But, it is unknown if this is the same red spot we see nowadays or if Jupiter has suffered many such storms as the centuries have passed.
The red spot circulates in the anticlockwise direction and takes six (earth) days to rotate entirely. Another mystery surrounding the red spot is what makes it red: researchers have come up with a number of theories (for example, the presence of red organic compounds) but nobody knows for sure yet. This is going to be a question for future astronomy!
So kids, grab binoculars and search the night sky. The brightest shiny object in the sky you see is most probable the planet Jupiter, and if you have a telescope, you can also get an opportunity to see the moons rotating around it. Jupiter is a planet of great power and beauty. We hope these facts will help your child take an interest in the glorious planet.
Also Read: Amazing Neptune Planet Facts For Kids
