Jupiter and OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

With the exception of the Sun, Jupiter is the most dominant object in the solar system. Because of its size and the fact that it was the first of the gas-giant planets to form, it has profoundly influenced the formation and evolution of all the other planets.

For example, Jupiter is the reason why there’s an asteroid belt – and not another planet – between it and Mars. Jupiter has also catapulted countless comets out to the edge of the solar system. Like a gatekeeper, Jupiter has safeguarded Earth from many comet impacts

The planets are the leftovers from the star-forming process, and Jupiter accounts for the bulk of that material – more – more than twice that of all the other planets combined. Its atmosphere – predominantly hydrogen and helium – is similar to the composition of the sun and other stars as well as the clouds of gas and dust in our galaxy.

When the sun was born – when it accumulated enough mass for nuclear fusion to ignite – it generated a wind that blew away most of the gas and dust that still remained. The fact that Jupiter’s composition is similar to that of the original cloud suggests that it formed early on, before the wind could clear away that material.

To give you an idea of how dominant Jupiter is, an alien observing our solar system through a telescope would see an average yellow star and Jupiter with three other large planets. Earth and the inner planets would appear merely as debris.

Explore

Interact with the planets below to learn more.
  • mercury
    mercury
    mercury

    Orbiting so close to the sun, Mercury is constantly hammered by heat and solar wind.


  • venus
    venus
    venus

    Venus’s atmosphere traps heat, producing surface temperatures hot enough to melt lead.


  • earth
    earth
    earth

    The only planet we know to harbor life, Earth is also the only one covered with liquid water.


  • mars
    mars
    mars

    The Red Planet once had an active core and magnetic field like Earth.


  • jupiter
    jupiter
    jupiter

    Probably the first planet to form, Jupiter holds clues about the origin of the solar system.


  • saturn
    saturn
    saturn

    Famous for its magnificent rings, Saturn is made out of the same materials as Jupiter.


  • uranus
    uranus
    uranus

    Uranus’s axis is tilted to almost 90 degrees, giving it the most extreme seasons in the solar system.


  • neptune
    neptune
    neptune

    Neptune’s winds are among the fiercest in the solar system, blowing at over 1,000 miles per hour.


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