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The Solar System: Jupiter |
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Jupiter Facts |
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Diameter: 142,984 km (88,846 miles) |
Time for one rotation: 9 hours and 55 mins |
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| Jupiter was discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei who also discovered four of the moons of Jupiter. There are now known to be 79 moons!
Jupiter is so massive that its total mass is twice as much as the mass of all planets in Solar System combined together. Jupiter is capable of holding 1300 Earths in it. However, the mass of Jupiter is only one thousandths of the total mass of Sun. The Great Red Spot is the most extraordinary feature of Jupiter. It is actually a storm akin to a hurricane on Earth. This storm has been visible for at least 300 years. There are times when the Great Red Spot completely disappears. This Great Red Spot, at the widest points, is three times as wide as Earth’s diameter. The edges of the spot spin around its center in a anticlockwise direction at a speed of 360 kilometers per hour (225 miles per hour). |
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| Io - one of the moons of Jupiter | Close up of the Red Spot | |
Earth Facts |
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Diameter: 12,742 Km (7,896 miles) |
Time for one rotation: 24 hours |
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The Solar System page 8 |
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