What are Some Prominent Features of Jupiter?
Jupiter is the most massive planet in the solar system, orbiting about 5.4 AUs (Earth-Sun lengths) from the Sun. It has a volume of 1321 Earths, but a mass of only 318 Earths, putting it just above the density of water. Its great size and relatively low mass, as well as its phase, Jupiter is called a gas giant. Other gas giants include Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, although sometimes the latter two are referred to as ice giants instead. To become large enough to fuse hydrogen and become a star, Jupiter would need to be 75 times more massive. Ironically, even a planet of that much more mass would be a smaller than Jupiter, as its gravity would compress it. Jupiter has a composition similar to that of the Sun and other large stars and planets – about 90% hydrogen, 9% helium, and 1% other elements. It has more hydrogen that a typical star would because it lacks the ability to fuse its hydrogen into helium. Jupiter has at least 63 moons, including four, Io, Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto, t
