Headings The Earth
and Beyond Planets Search Questions
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The Planets - Jupiter.
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun.
The information below is included to let you
know
a little more about the planets in our solar
system.
You will not be expected to
remember this information for the exam.
Jupiter spins on its
axis once
in about 10 hours.
The surface temperature of Jupiter varies between about 20°C and -130°C.
Jupiter
is the largest planet.
It is a gas giant made mainly
from hydrogen and helium (like stars).
Jupiter is not
big enough to be a star
but does give out more heat than it receives from the Sun.
Compression and collision of the gas
is thought to produce the extra
heat.
Jupiter
is the second
brightest planet in the night
sky, after Venus.
It has a magnetic field which is about
ten times as strong
as the magnetic field on Earth.
Jupiter
has at least sixteen
moons. Its largest moon is
called Ganymede.
Ganymede is the largest moon in the
solar system,
being bigger than Titan and bigger than the planet Mercury.
(see Summary for further information).
Headings The Earth
and Beyond Planets Search Questions
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