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Explore Jupiter

Explore the giant of our Solar System. Discover Jupiter’s turbulent atmosphere, powerful storms, and the massive magnetosphere that makes it one of the most awe-inspiring planets in the cosmos.

778.5M km
Distance from Sun
139,820 km
Diameter
-145°C
Temperature
4,332 days
Year Length

Physical Characteristics

Surface Composition

Jupiter has no solid surface. What we see are thick layers of gas—mostly hydrogen and helium—transitioning to liquid under immense pressure.

Hydrogen ~90%
Helium ~10%

Atmosphere

Jupiter's atmosphere is composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, with trace amounts of methane, ammonia, and water vapor. It features massive storms like the Great Red Spot.

Hydrogen (H₂) ~89.8%
Helium (He) ~10.2%

Gravity

Jupiter has the strongest gravity of all planets. A 100 kg person on Earth would weigh about 253 kg on Jupiter.

Earth
100 kg
Jupiter
253 kg
Gravity is 2.53× Earth’s (24.79 m/s²)

Day Length

Jupiter has the shortest day in the solar system, rotating once every 9 hours and 56 minutes.

24h
9h 56m
Jupiter rotates more than twice as fast as Earth.

Atmospheric Phenomena

Jupiter Cloud Bands
Feature:
Great Red Spot
Jupiter has no solid surface — all observed features exist within its atmosphere.

Notable Atmospheric Features

Great Red Spot

A massive anticyclonic storm larger than Earth, active for at least 350 years.

Winds exceed 400 km/h.

Cloud Bands

Jupiter is wrapped in alternating light and dark bands caused by jet streams and rotating gases.

Known as zones and belts.

Auroras

Stunning auroras near Jupiter's poles, caused by charged particles from its magnetic field.

Strongest auroras in the Solar System.

Jupiter’s Moons

Jupiter boasts 95 known moons, but the four largest—the Galilean moons—are the most significant.

Io

Io

Diameter
3 643 km (2 263 mi)
Orbital Period
42.5 hours
Distance from Jupiter
421 700 km (262 000 mi)

Io is the most volcanically active body in the Solar System, with over 400 active volcanoes spouting sulfur and molten rock.

Europa

Europa

Diameter
3 122 km (1 939 mi)
Orbital Period
85.2 hours
Distance from Jupiter
671 100 km (417 000 mi)

Europa’s smooth, fractured ice shell hides a global ocean beneath—one of the best places in our Solar System to search for life.

Ganymede

Ganymede

Diameter
5 268 km (3 273 mi)
Orbital Period
171.6 hours
Distance from Jupiter
1 070 400 km (665 000 mi)

Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar System—and the only one known to have its own magnetic field.

Callisto

Callisto

Diameter
4 821 km (2 995 mi)
Orbital Period
400.6 hours
Distance from Jupiter
1 882 700 km (1 169 000 mi)

Callisto’s ancient, heavily cratered surface is among the oldest in the Solar System—and it may also hide a subsurface ocean.

Orbital Period Comparison

Origin Theory

The Galilean moons are thought to have formed in situ within Jupiter’s circumplanetary disk, rather than being captured like many smaller outer satellites.

Future Exploration

NASA’s Europa Clipper (launching 2024) will study Europa’s habitability, and ESA’s JUICE mission (launching 2022) will explore Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa.

Jupiter Exploration History

1970s
Flyby Era
1980s
Grand Tour
1990s
Orbiter & Probe
2000s
Flybys & Cruise
2010s
Dedicated Orbiter
Pioneer 10

Pioneer 10

1973 Flyby

First spacecraft to fly through the asteroid belt and make direct observations of Jupiter’s radiation belts and magnetosphere.

Flyby NASA
Pioneer 11

Pioneer 11

1974 Flyby

Second probe to visit Jupiter; measured charged particles and took detailed images of the cloud tops and Great Red Spot.

Flyby NASA
Voyager 1

Voyager 1

1979 Flyby

Captured the first close-up images of Jupiter’s rings, moons, and storm systems; discovered active volcanism on Io.

Flyby NASA
Voyager 2

Voyager 2

1979 Flyby

Confirmed and extended Voyager 1’s discoveries; mapped additional moons and provided more data on Jupiter’s magnetic environment.

Flyby NASA
Galileo

Galileo

1995–2003 Orbiter + Probe

First spacecraft to orbit Jupiter; deployed an atmospheric probe into Jupiter’s clouds and studied the four Galilean moons up close.

Orbiter Probe
Cassini

Cassini

2000 Flyby

En route to Saturn, took the highest-resolution images of Jupiter’s atmosphere and rings ever returned at that time.

Flyby NASA / ESA
New Horizons

New Horizons

2007 Flyby

During its Pluto mission cruise, executed a close approach to Jupiter, capturing stereo images of the poles and mapping wave structures in the rings.

Flyby NASA
Juno

Juno

2016–Present Orbiter

Currently in polar orbit around Jupiter; mapping its gravity and magnetic fields, probing deep atmospheric structure, and studying auroras.

Orbiter NASA
No missions available for this category.

Current Jupiter Missions

Juno

Active
Juno
Launch Date August 5, 2011
Agency NASA
Mission Type Orbiter

Juno is in a highly elliptical polar orbit around Jupiter, mapping its gravity and magnetic fields and probing its deep atmosphere.

Latest Update:

Completed multiple close‐approach science passes, revealing unprecedented details of Jupiter’s poles and auroras.

JUICE

En Route
JUICE
Launch Date April 14, 2023
Agency ESA
Mission Type Orbiter / Flyby

The European JUICE spacecraft is on its way to conduct multiple flybys of Europa, Ganymede and Callisto before settling into orbit around Ganymede.

Latest Update:

Currently in cruise phase toward the Jovian system; first gravity‐assist planned at Earth in 2024.

Europa Clipper

En Route
Europa Clipper
Launch Date October 10, 2024
Agency NASA
Mission Type Orbiter / Flyby

Europa Clipper will perform repeated close flybys of Europa, characterizing its ice shell and subsurface ocean for habitability.

Latest Update:

Undergoing final assembly and testing ahead of 2024 launch.

Future Jupiter Exploration

Upcoming Missions

Io Volcano Observer (IVO)

Mid-2030s

A NASA concept to perform multiple flybys of Io, mapping its volcanic hotspots, surface changes, and interior structure.

Targeted JWST-like infrared imaging of active eruptions.

Europa Lander

Late 2030s

A proposed mission to soft-land on Europa’s surface, drill through the ice shell, and search directly for biosignatures in the subsurface ocean.

Precision soft-landing and cryobot deployment technologies.

Jupiter Polar Observer

2030s+

A spacecraft dedicated to long-term polar orbits, studying Jupiter’s high-latitude weather systems, auroras, and magnetospheric dynamics.

Continuous UV and X-ray monitoring of auroral processes.

Long-Term Visions

At present, there are no formally announced long-term Jupiter mission concepts beyond the planned 2030s era projects (like IVO and Europa Lander). NASA and ESA continue to study potential far-future architectures—such as networked atmospheric probes or extended‐duration polar orbiters—but no specific missions have been green-lit yet.

Challenges & Solutions

Radiation Hazards

Jupiter’s intense radiation belts can damage electronics and pose risks to both orbiters and future landers.

Potential Solutions:
  • Hardened electronics and fault-tolerant design
  • Radiation shielding using advanced materials
  • Optimized trajectories to minimize exposure

High-Pressure Entry

Probing Jupiter’s deep atmosphere requires surviving extreme pressure, temperature, and wind shears.

Potential Solutions:
  • Ablative heat shields and deceleration systems
  • Adaptive pressure vessels for atmospheric probes
  • Balloon-supported platforms for mid-atmosphere studies

Communication Delay

Signals take 30–50 minutes round-trip, complicating real-time operations and fault recovery.

Potential Solutions:
  • Autonomous navigation and data processing onboard
  • AI-driven decision making for critical events
  • On-board data compression and prioritization

Jupiter Image Gallery

Jupiter Full-Disk Mosaic

Jupiter Full-Disk Mosaic

A true-color, all-Jupiter mosaic stitched from dozens of JunoCam exposures to reveal the planet’s full set of cloud bands and subtle color gradations.

Great Red Spot Close-Up

Great Red Spot Close-Up

A tightly cropped JunoCam view of the Great Red Spot, showing turbulent eddies, high-contrast color filaments, and the storm’s swirling boundary.

Jovian Aurorae Over the Pole

Jovian Aurorae Over the Pole

An ultraviolet composite from Hubble’s STIS instrument capturing Jupiter’s northern auroras as glowing arcs and ovals tracing magnetic field lines.

Ring & Shadow Silhouette

Ring & Shadow Silhouette

A Voyager 1 image of Jupiter’s faint main ring seen edge-on in silhouette, with Jupiter’s shadow bisecting the ring—ethereal and minimalist.

Io Volcanic Plume Against Jupiter

Io Volcanic Plume Against Jupiter

A JunoCam frame showing Io’s Pele plume rising above the moon’s limb, backlit by Jupiter’s cloud tops—a dynamic “rover-style” scene in the Jovian system.

Magnetic Field Map

Magnetic Field Map

A false-color global map from Juno’s MAG instrument, highlighting variations in field strength around Jupiter and revealing asymmetries between poles.

Gravity Wave Patterns in Cloud Tops

Gravity Wave Patterns in Cloud Tops

A JIRAM infrared image processed to accentuate concentric gravity waves emanating from a Jovian storm, illuminating atmospheric dynamics unseen in visible light.

Lightning Flash in Jovian Storm

Lightning Flash in Jovian Storm

A nighttime JunoCam exposure capturing a bright lightning bolt deep in Jupiter’s upper atmosphere against the backdrop of its banded clouds.