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Jupiter

The largest planet, with fast-moving clouds and a diverse family of moons.

Quick facts

Object type: Gas giant

Average distance from Sun: 5.204 AU; 778,500,000 km; 483,737,473 miles

Distance note: Average orbital distance (semimajor axis), not the planet’s changing distance from Earth.

Diameter: 142,976 km; 88,841 miles

Diameter note: Approximate equatorial diameter at the 1-bar level, using the 2026 Juno result (about 8 km narrower than the older 142,984 km value).

Known moons: 115

Moon count last verified: 2026-10-03

About this count: Known natural satellites; counts change when discoveries are confirmed.

Year: About 11.9 Earth years

Rotation: About 9.9 hours

Solar day: About 9.9 hours

Gravity note: No solid surface. Gravity depends on atmospheric level; surface gravity is omitted.

Temperature: About −110 °C (−166 °F) at the 1-bar atmospheric level; much hotter deeper inside.

Atmosphere / composition: Mostly hydrogen and helium, with cloud layers and a deep, high-pressure interior.

Rings: A faint system of dust rings.

Remember this

Jupiter completes a rotation in less than ten hours.

Explore this world

Jupiter’s visible bands trace atmospheric motion above an immense interior. The Great Red Spot is a persistent storm. Its four large Galilean moons make the system a varied collection of worlds, including icy Europa and volcanic Io.

What makes it distinctive

Juno measurements improved the size estimate in 2026. Even basic measurements of familiar worlds change as evidence improves.

Exploration

Voyager revealed Jupiter’s faint rings. Galileo and Juno extended our study of its atmosphere, interior and moons.

Mission updates

Europa Clipper is traveling to Jupiter to investigate Europa’s potential habitability, with arrival planned for 2030. Follow its mission page for current updates.

Mission information last verified: 2026-10-03

Image credit

NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

View the original image and its context

Sources and further reading

NASA science and mission reference

NASA Goddard planetary data

JPL recognized satellite census

NASA science and mission reference

Image source and credit

Science last verified: 2026-10-03

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