Download This Sample
This sample is exclusively for KidsKonnect members!
To download this worksheet, click the button below to signup for free (it only takes a minute) and you'll be brought right back to this page to start the download!
Sign Me Up
Table of Contents
Jupiter is the enormous planet in the Solar System and the fifth planet from the sun. It is a gas giant with an abundance greater than two and a half times that of all the other seven planets in the Solar System combined but is only about one thousandth the mass of the sun. Jupiter, behind the Moon and Venus, is the third brightest natural object in the Earth‘s night sky and has been viewed since prehistoric times.
See the fact file below for more information about Jupiter, or download the comprehensive worksheet pack, which contains over 11 worksheets and can be used in the classroom or homeschooling environment.
Key Facts & Information
OVERVIEW
- Jupiter is mainly made up of hydrogen, while helium accounts for one-quarter of its mass and one-tenth of its volume. It most likely contains a rocky core of heavy elements, although it lacks a well-defined solid surface, as do the other giant planets in the Solar System.
- Jupiter’s interior continues to compress, generating more heat than it gets from the sun. The planet’s form is an oblate spheroid due to its fast rotation, with a minor but perceptible bulge at the equator.
- The outer atmosphere is separated into latitudinal bands, with turbulence and storms interacting along their limits. The Great Red Spot, a massive storm recorded since at least 1831, is one notable effect of this.
- Jupiter has many moons around it. Jupiter also has rings; however, unlike Saturn‘s famed rings, Jupiter’s rings are pretty weak and formed of dust rather than ice.
NAMESAKE AND FORMATION
- Jupiter, the giant planet, is named after the ruler of the ancient Roman gods. It was called after Jupiter, the Roman deity and king of the gods.
- Jupiter was created 4.5 billion years ago when gravity drew spinning gas and dust into the solar system, forming this gas giant.
- Jupiter absorbed most of the mass left over after the sun’s creation, resulting in a body with more than double the total mass of the other planets in the solar system. In truth, Jupiter has all of the same elements as a star, but it never became large enough to ignite.
- Jupiter settled into its current location in the outer solar system, where it is the fifth planet from the sun, some 4 billion years ago.
SIZE AND DISTANCE
- Jupiter is 11 times wider than the Earth, with a radius of 43, 440.7 miles (69, 911 km).
- Jupiter would be roughly the size of a basketball if Earth were a nickel.
- Jupiter is 5.2 astronomical units distant from the sun, at 484 million miles (778 million km).
- The distance between the Sun and Earth is measured in astronomical units (abbreviated as AU). It takes 43 minutes for sunlight to travel from the Sun to Jupiter at this distance.
ORBIT AND ROTATION
- Jupiter has the solar system’s shortest day.
- A day on Jupiter lasts just about 10 hours (the time it takes Jupiter to rotate or spin once), while Jupiter completes an orbit around the sun (a year in Jovian time) in around 12 Earth years (4,333 Earth days).
- Suppose the equator is just 3 degrees inclined about its orbital route around the sun. It implies Jupiter rotates almost upright and does not have dramatic seasons like other planets.
STRUCTURE
- Jupiter’s composition is comparable to that of the sun, consisting primarily of hydrogen and helium. Pressure and temperature rise deep in the atmosphere, compressing the hydrogen gas into a liquid.
- Jupiter now has an enormous ocean in the solar system, although one comprised of hydrogen rather than water. Scientists believe that at depths near the planet’s core, the pressure is high enough to squeeze electrons from hydrogen atoms, causing the liquid to conduct electricity like a metal.
- The quick rotation of Jupiter is considered to create electrical impulses in this area, resulting in the planet’s tremendous magnetic field.
- It is still unknown if Jupiter has a solid center core or if it is a thick, super-hot, and dense soup. It might reach 90, 032 degrees Fahrenheit (50, 00 ° C), composed mainly of iron and silicate minerals (similar to quartz).
SURFACE
- Jupiter, as a gas giant, lacks a natural surface, and the planet is mainly made up of rotating gases and liquids. While a spaceship would have no place to land on Jupiter, it would also be unable to sail through unharmed.
- The tremendous pressures and temperatures within the planet crush, melt and evaporate spacecraft attempting to enter it.
MOONS AND RINGS
- Jupiter, with four significant moons and several smaller moons, resembles a tiny solar system. Jupiter has 53 confirmed and 26 tentative moons yet to be discovered. Moons are given names when they have been verified.
- Jupiter’s four biggest moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, were discovered in 1610 by astronomer Galileo Galilei using an initial form of the telescope. These four moons are now known as Galilean satellites, among the most intriguing locations in our solar system.
- Io is the solar system’s most volcanically active body, and Ganymede is the solar system’s giant moon.
- Callisto’s few tiny craters suggest a low level of current surface activity. A liquid-water ocean may exist under Europa’s icy surface.
- Jupiter’s rings were discovered in 1979 by NASA‘s Voyager 1 spacecraft. They were a surprise since they are made of microscopic black particles and are difficult to discern unless illuminated by the sun.
- According to data from the Galileo Galilei satellite, Jupiter’s ring system might be generated by dust blown up as interplanetary meteoroids collide with the giant planet’s small innermost moons.
ATMOSPHERE
- Jupiter’s look is a kaleidoscope of bright bands and dots. The gas planet’s “skies” are predicted to have three separate cloud layers that extend around 44 miles (71 kilometers). The upper cloud is likely ammonia ice, whereas the intermediate layer is most likely ammonium hydrosulfide crystals. The deepest layer might be composed of water, ice, and vapor.
- The brilliant hues in broad bands over Jupiter might represent plumes of sulfur and phosphorus-containing gases from the planet’s heated core. Jupiter’s quick rotation—once every 10 hours—creates powerful jet streams that separate its clouds into black belts and brilliant zones over extensive lengths.
- Jupiter’s spots can last for many years since no solid surface can slow them down. Over a dozen prevailing winds sweep over stormy Jupiter, reaching speeds of up to 335 miles per hour (539 km/h) at the equator.
- The Great Red Spot, a churning circle of clouds twice the size of Earth, has been spotted on the massive planet for over 300 years.
- Three smaller ovals recently joined to form the Little Red Spot, roughly half the size of its larger relative.
- The findings of NASA’s Juno spacecraft, which will be disclosed in October 2021, give a complete picture of what’s happening behind those clouds. Juno data suggest that Jupiter’s cyclones are hotter on top and have lower air concentrations. Anticyclones are more relaxed at the top but warmer at the bottom because they rotate in the opposite direction.
- These storms are also far higher than predicted, with some stretching 60 miles (600 km) beyond the cloud tops and others, notably the Great Red Spot, spanning more than 200 miles (350 kilometers). This surprising study shows that vortices extend beyond the areas where water condenses, clouds form, and the depth where sunlight heats the atmosphere.
- Because of the Great Red Spot’s height and extent, the amount of atmospheric material within the storm may be visible by equipment monitoring Jupiter’s gravitational field. Two near Juno flybys over Jupiter’s most renowned region allowed researchers to look for the storm’s gravitational signature and add to previous findings about its depth.
- The Juno team was able to restrict the area of the Great Red Spot to a depth of around 300 miles (500 km) below the cloud tops using gravity data.
BELTS AND ZONES
- Jupiter is noted for its unique belts and zones, which are white and reddish rings of clouds that loop around the planet.
- The bands are separated by east-west solid winds blowing in opposing directions. Juno previously revealed that these winds, often known as jet streams, reach depths of around 2,000 miles (roughly 3,200 km).
- Researchers are still attempting to extrapolate out how jet streams develop. Juno data from numerous flights offer one probable clue: ammonia gas in the atmosphere flows up and down in unique synchronization with known jet streams.
- The results from Juno also suggest that the belts and zones roughly 40 miles (65 kilometers) underneath Jupiter’s belts are brighter in microwave energy than the nearby zones.
- However, the converse is true at deeper depths, under the water clouds, revealing a likeness to our oceans.
POLAR CYCLONES
- Juno previously observed polygonal patterns of massive cyclonic storms near Jupiter’s poles, eight in an octagonal way in the north and five in a pentagonal pattern in the south.
- Mission scientists discovered that these atmospheric occurrences are remarkably robust, lingering in the same position throughout the time.
- Juno data also show that similar to hurricanes on Earth; these cyclones try to migrate poleward, while cyclones at each pole drive them back. This balancing describes the location of the storms and the varied numbers at each stake.
MAGNETOSPHERE
- Jupiter’s enormous magnetic field influences the region of space known as the Jovian magnetosphere.
- It expands 600,000 to 2 million miles (1 to 3 km) toward the sun (seven to twenty times Jupiter’s diameter). It tapers into a tadpole-shaped tail that extends more than 600 million miles (1 billion km) behind Jupiter, all the way to Saturn’s orbit.
- The magnetic field of Jupiter is 16 to 54 times stronger than the Earth’s, and it revolves around the globe and collects particles with an electric charge.
- Near the planet, the magnetic field captures and accelerates swarms of charged particles to extremely high energies, resulting in solid radiation that bombards the innermost moons and can harm spacecraft.
- Jupiter’s magnetic field also produces some of the most stunning aurorae in the solar system at the planet’s pole.
POTENTIAL FOR LIFE
- The environment of Jupiter is most likely unsuited for the way we know it. The temperatures, pressures, and elements on this planet are most likely too extreme and volatile for organisms to adapt.
- While Jupiter is an improbable site for life to thrive, this is not the case for some of its numerous moons.
- Europa is one of the most likely sites in our solar system to find life.
- There are indications of a large ocean beneath its frozen crust, where life may exist.
Jupiter Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Jupiter across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Jupiter worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the planet Jupiter, which is one of the gas giants and is considered the biggest one in our solar system. It is named after the Roman king of gods, Jupiter, and is the fifth nearest to the sun.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Jupiter Facts
- The Big Planet
- Jupiter Ascending
- Galileo
- Jupiter by Numbers
- In the Cosmos
- Tic Tac Space
- Galilean Moons
- The Great Red Spot
- Jupiter Rings
- Interesting Planet
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Jupiter?
Jupiter is the enormous planet in the Solar System and the fifth planet from the sun. It is a gas giant with an abundance greater than two and a half times that of all the other seven planets in the Solar System combined but is only about one thousandth the mass of the sun. Jupiter, behind the Moon and Venus, is the third brightest natural object in the Earth’s night sky and has been viewed since prehistoric times.
What are Galilean satellites?
Jupiter’s four biggest moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, were discovered in 1610 by astronomer Galileo Galilei using an initial form of the telescope. These four moons are now known as the Galilean satellites, among the most intriguing locations in our solar system.
What makes up Jupiter’s atmosphere?
Jupiter’s look is a kaleidoscope of bright bands and dots. The gas planet’s “skies” are predicted to have three separate cloud layers that extend around 44 miles (71 kilometers). The upper cloud is likely ammonia ice, whereas the intermediate layer is most likely ammonium hydrosulfide crystals. The deepest layer might be composed of water, ice, and vapor.
What is the pattern of the cyclones in Jupiter?
Juno previously observed polygonal patterns of massive cyclonic storms near Jupiter’s poles, eight in an octagonal way in the north and five in a pentagonal pattern in the south.
Can humans live on Jupiter?
The environment of Jupiter is most likely unsuited for the way we know it. The temperatures, pressures, and elements on this planet are most likely too extreme and volatile for organisms to adapt. While Jupiter is an improbable site for life to thrive, this is not the case for some of its numerous moons.
Link/cite this page
If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.
Link will appear as Jupiter Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, May 28, 2018
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.