Jupiter

Jupiter is the biggest planet in our solar system. It is 1,000 times larger than the planet Earth. That is pretty big! Jupiter is bigger than all the other planets combined. Jupiter is described as a big ball of gas. That is because it is made up mostly of gases. Jupiter is mostly hydrogen with a little helium.

We see mostly the outer layer of clouds when we look at Jupiter. Gas planets do not have a solid surface. The inner core of Jupiter is rocky and solid. Jupiter is the fourth-brightest object in the sky. People have been seeing Jupiter in the night sky for many years.

Many years ago, people thought Jupiter was a “bright, wandering star.” A man named Galileo developed the telescope. The telescope helped him see Jupiter’s four large moons. This observation helped Galileo realize that Earth was not the center of the universe.

The great red spot on Jupiter has been seen for over 300 years. This spot is big enough to hold two Earths. Jupiter also has rings. They are made up of particles of rocky materials. The rings are dark in color. Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun.