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Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system, with a diameter of 42,800 km. It is composed mainly of methane gas. It also has sixteen moons in its orbit, the largest of which are called the GALLILEAN moons. Jupiter orbits the sun at a distance of around 778,300,000 miles. An interesting fact about Jupiter is that it is not spherical. Jupiter is very cold, around -150 degrees celcius on average. Jupiter is outshone only by Venus when viewed from the Earth. Low powered telescopes and binoculars can easily pick out 2 or 3 moons, the others requiring higher powers. A discernable landmark on Jupiter is the Great Red spot, a huge storm that is bigger than the Earth itself. This storm contains winds that travel in excess of 1000 mph. The Great Red Spot was discovered in the 17th century. Because of its immence size, Jupiter has a very powerful gravitational pull, and 'steals' a lot of space debris, and incorperates it into its orbit. This is also why Jupiter has so many moons. |
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