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The composition of Jupiter's atmosphere is similar to that of the planet as a whole. [1] Jupiter's atmosphere is the most comprehensively understood of those of all the giant planets because it was observed directly by the Galileo atmospheric probe when it entered the Jovian atmosphere on December 7, 1995. [28]
Jupiter's atmosphere consists of 76% hydrogen and 24% helium by mass, with a denser interior. It contains trace elements and compounds like carbon, oxygen, sulfur, neon, ammonia, water vapour, phosphine, hydrogen sulfide, and hydrocarbons. Jupiter's helium abundance is 80% of the Sun's, similar to Saturn's composition. The ongoing contraction ...
Time-lapse sequence from the approach of Voyager 1 to Jupiter in 1979, showing the motion of atmospheric bands, and the circulation of the Great Red Spot. The momentary black spots are shadows cast by Jupiter's moons. Jupiter's Great Red Spot rotates counterclockwise, with a period of about 4.5 Earth days, [24] or 11 Jovian
Leda / ˈ l iː d ə /, also known as Jupiter XIII, is a prograde irregular satellite of Jupiter.It was discovered by Charles T. Kowal at the Mount Palomar Observatory on September 14, 1974, after three nights' worth of photographic plates had been taken (September 11 through 13; Leda appears on all of them).
Juno also studies Jupiter's deep winds, [58] [59] which can reach speeds of 600 km/h. [60] [61] Among early results, Juno gathered information about Jovian lightning that revised earlier theories. [62] Juno provided the first views of Jupiter's north pole, as well as insights about Jupiter's aurorae, magnetic field, and atmosphere. [63]
The Galilean moons are named after Galileo Galilei, who observed them in either December 1609 or January 1610, and recognized them as satellites of Jupiter in March 1610; [2] they remained the only known moons of Jupiter until the discovery of the fifth largest moon of Jupiter Amalthea in 1892. [3]
Jupiter was known to astronomers of ancient times. [1] The Romans named it after their god Jupiter. [2] When viewed from Earth, Jupiter can reach an apparent magnitude of −2.94, bright enough for its reflected light to cast shadows, [3] and making it on average the third-brightest object in the night sky after the Moon and Venus.
It has the third-closest orbit around Jupiter among known moons and was the fifth moon of Jupiter to be discovered, so it is also known as Jupiter V. It is also the fifth-largest moon of Jupiter, after the four Galilean moons. Edward Emerson Barnard discovered the moon on 9 September 1892 and named it after Amalthea of Greek mythology. [10]