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The king of planets is aptly named because it not only has the most dynamic atmospheric motion, but also the most riveting cloud patterns and storms, and the most majestic appearance of the giant planets. The dramatic appearance of Jupiter stems partially because the composition of Jupiter's atmosphere includes complicated molecules such as ammonia and methane, as well as simple molecules such as helium, hydrogen, and sulfur. The composition also includes exotic molecules such as germain.
The atmosphere of Jupiter is only a narrow surface layer, compared to the vast interior of the planet. The three clouddecks of Jupiter are to be found at different levels in the troposphere, while hazes of smog can be found higher in the atmosphere.
Jupiter is not much changed from its early evolution out of the primordial solar nebula, and in fact, may still be evolving.
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Jupiter's magnetosphere is a unique object in the solar system. It is the biggest object in the entire solar system. Not only is it big enough to contain all of Jupiter's moons, but the sun itself could also fit inside. It extends past the orbit of Saturn, and Saturn itself sometimes passes through it. If it could be seen at night, it would be as big in the sky as the full moon.
Jupiter's magnetosphere is not only big but enormously powerful as well. Enough power is generated within the magnetosphere to manage 10 major cities on Earth. This power is dissipated in the atmosphere via the Jovian aurora.
The source of the magnetosphere is the magnetic field generated in the interior of Jupiter. Unlike the Earth, Jupiter's magnetic field has a strong quadrupole component. This component affects the shape and structure of Jupiter's magnetic field.
The motion of particles in the magnetosphere is both similar and different from those of particles in the Earth's magnetosphere due to Jupiter's giant plasmasphere and the donut-shaped cloud (torus) which circulates with Io inside the magnetosphere.
Jupiter's magnetosphere is a powerful radio source, just as the Earth's magnetosphere is. Radio emissions and other waves which come from Jupiter include whistler waves, chorus and hiss.
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Jupiter has rings like Saturn's, but much fainter and smaller. They were totally unexpected and were only discovered when two of the Voyager 1 scientists insisted that after traveling 1 billion km it was at least worth a quick look to see if any rings might be present. Everyone else thought that the chance of finding anything was nil, but there they were. It was a major coup. They have since been imaged in the infra-red from ground-based telescopes and by Galileo.
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Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. When approached from afar, its fantastic striped atmosphere gradually reveals intriguing clouds that move around the planet. Rich in historical and cultural connections, Jupiter is the site of recent comet impacts and continuing scientific discovery.
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Jupiter's interior composition is primarily that of simple molecules such as hydrogen and helium, which are liquids under the high pressure environments found in the interiors of the outer planets, and not solids.
Motions in the interior of Jupiter contribute in a very special way to the development of the powerful and extensive magnetosphere of Jupiter. Heat generated within Jupiter contributes to the unusual motions of the atmosphere.
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Planet
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Diameter: 142,800 km
Mass: 1,898 x10^24 kilograms (318 x Earth's)
Density: 1,326 kg/m^3
Minimum Distance from Sun: 741 million km
Maximum Distance from Sun: 817 million km
Minimum Distance from Earth: 588 million km
Name in Roman/Greek Mythology: Jupiter/Zeus
Rotation Period around Axis: 9.8 hours
Revolution Period: 12 years
Tilt of Axis: 3.1 degrees
Surface Gravity: 23.12 m/s^2 (2.64 x Earth's)
Average Surface Temperature: 123K
Number of Satellites: 17 known
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