Jupiter: 7 Interesting Facts to Know About the Largest Planet in Our Solar System

Photo credit: NASA/Pexels

Being the biggest planet, Jupiter has been named after the king of the ancient Roman gods.

Jupiter is more than twice as big as all other planets of Solar System combined, and 1321 Earths could easily fit inside a Jupiter-sized sphere.

One day on Jupiter is 9.93 hours long. However, one year is 11.86 Earth years.

Jupiter has 95 moons which are officially recognised by the International Astronomical Union.

Jupiter’s four largest moons – Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto – were first observed by the astronomer Galileo Galilei in 1610 and are also known as Galilean moons.

Notably, Saturn is not the only planet with rings in our solar system. Jupiter also has a faint four-part system of dusty rings, but they are not as visible as those around its neighbour Saturn.

Jupiter witnesses giant storms, powerful winds, aurorae, and extreme temperatures and pressures. It also has the Great Red Spot, a high-pressure storm that has been raging for several centuries.