Gas Giant · Largest Planet
Jupiter
Jupiter is a gas giant with no solid surface and more mass than all other planets combined. Its powerful magnetic field - 20,000× stronger than Earth's - traps energetic particles in intense radiation belts.
Overview
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Atmosphere composition
Hydrogen
89%
Helium
10%
Methane
0.3%
Ammonia
0.026%
Other
0.67%
Notable features
- Great Red Spot - storm larger than Earth, raging 350+ years
- Ganymede - largest moon in the Solar System
- Europa - subsurface ocean, candidate for extraterrestrial life
- Io - most volcanically active body in the Solar System
Space missions
| Mission | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pioneer 10 & 11 | 1973-74 | First spacecraft to fly past Jupiter |
| Voyager 1 & 2 | 1979 | Detailed images; discovered ring system |
| Galileo | 1989-2003 | First Jupiter orbiter; released atmospheric probe |
| Juno | 2016-present | Studying Jupiter's interior and auroras |
NASA images
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Images courtesy of NASA Image & Video Library.