Jupiter
Gas giant
The largest planet, a giant ball of gas striped with clouds and home to the Great Red Spot.
Key facts
- Type
- Gas giant
- Diameter
- 142,984 km
- Average distance from the Sun
- 778.5 million km
- One orbit
- About 11.9 Earth years
- One day
- About 9.9 hours
- Known moons
- 95 (NASA)
About the Jupiter
How to recognise it
Jupiter is covered in cream, tan and brown bands of cloud, with a giant oval storm called the Great Red Spot. The small black dot in our image is the shadow of one of its moons.
What it is like
Jupiter is more than 11 times wider than Earth and is made mostly of hydrogen and helium, with no solid surface to stand on. It spins faster than any other planet: a day lasts under 10 hours. It has faint rings and dozens of moons.
Sources
Facts checked: 29 October 2026
