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< back to Planets
The Planets: Planet Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth of nine planets in our solar system and is is one of the outer "gas giant" planets. Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and only Venus (and the Moon) are brighter. Jupiter is best viewed in the Spring.
Jupiter can be viewed with the naked-eye, binoculars and all telescopes.
| Jupiter Facts |
| Mass (kg) |
1.900e+27 |
| Radius (km) |
71,492 |
| Density (gm/cm3) |
1.33 |
| Distance from Sun (km) |
778,330,000 |
| Period of rotation (hrs) |
9.9 |
| Period of orbit (yrs) |
11.87 |
| Orbital velocity (km/sec) |
13.07 |
| Eccentricity of orbit |
0.0483 |
| Tilt of axis (°) |
3.13 |
| Inclination of orbit (°) |
1.308 |
| surface gravity (m/sec2) |
22.88 |
| escape velocity (km/sec) |
59.56 |
| Visual albedo |
0.52 |
| Visual magnitude |
-2.70 |
| cloud temperature |
-121°C |
| Atmosphere |
Hydrogen=90%
Helium=10% |
| Moons |
61 |
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