Named after Jove, the chief god of the Romans, Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system.
It is 11 times larger in diameter than Earth. Thirteen hundred Earths could fit inside Jupiter! Jupiter does not contain solid rock like Earth does. Instead, it is a swollen ball of hydrogen and helium under layers of clouds.
Jupiter’s atmosphere is thousands of miles deep. The cloud tops, which we can see from Earth, resemble an Easter egg, with colorful patterns caused by swirling storms. At the center of Jupiter is a rocky core. Billions of years ago, it captured hydrogen gas to build up a gigantic planet. At least 63 moons whirl around Jupiter, and more may be discovered.