Orbiting around Jupiter.
My. Very. Embarrassed. Mother. Just. Sat. Upon. Nine. Pins. However you remember the order of planets it’s Just about the 5th planet from the sun right now thanks to NASA. After a five year mission, their Juno spacecraft entered Jupiter’s orbit.
It’s hoped that Juno will be able to accurately map Jupiter as well as help us explore the planet’s origins and settings and in turn help us understand our own solar system.
Five Facts about Jupiter
- Jupiter is largest planet in our solar system. It’s 318 times the size of Earth.
- It takes 11.8 years for Jupiter to orbit the sun.
- It has 67 moons. The largest are called the four Galilean moons- Europa, Ganymede, Callisto and Io.
- The Great Red Spot is a storm that has been raging on Jupiter for perhaps over 350 years. The storm is almost three times the size of Earth and takes six days to fully rotate.
- Jupiter has a magnetic field 14 times stronger than Earth’s
If you want to feel closer to Jupiter we recommend these:
Out There: The Solar System for Tourists by Herb Lester £4.00
If you just so happen to have a spaceship to hand, one of the three suggested tours on the reverse of this map of the Solar System takes you around the sights of Jupiter.
The Solar System: Our Sun’s Family Wall Map £10.99
National Geographic present this double sided poster. One side shows the Solar System in all its glory while the other gives a brief history and interesting facts.
You can follow Juno’s mission here: nasa.gov/mission_pages/juno