:: 4 moons of jupiter [vidéo]

:: Jupiter

Jupiter is the fifth planet and the largest one in the solar system.

There is a ring system, but it is very faint and is totally invisible from the Earth.

Jupiter is the third shiniest after the sun!

Jupiter has been visited for the first time by the satellite Pioneer 10.

Jupiter has a great red spot (which is a storm), that has been observed 300 years ago.

The spot is big as 3 times the Earth!

The comet Shoemaker-levy 9 crashed into Jupiter. What we could see was incredible!

Jupiter is composed of gases caled hydrogen and helium, and other gases over a tiny rocky core.

Most other planets in other solar systems are a bit heavier than Jupiter but Jupiter is larger than them.

• Duration of rotation : 10 hours!
• Duration of revolution : 12 years!
  
• Diameter : 142,981 kms. 11 times the Earth!
  
• Distance from the sun: 779 million kms.
  

:: Jupiters : 63 moons !

Jupiter with its 63 moons.

Names coming from Zeus's servants etc...

Let me present the four mane ones, discovered by Galileo in 1610...

Europa

The latest discoveries show that there may be life on Europa, the ice field that covers Europa seem to hide a ocean, very exiting indeed but the possibilities of life are small.

Europa is smaller than The Moon but much brighter, in fact it's one of the brightest moons in the solar system. This is caused because of sunlight reflecting off a relatively young icy crust.

Europa is named after the gorgeous Phoenician princess, who (according to the Greek mythology) was gathering flowers when Zeus spotted her and instinctively fell in love with.

• Distance from Jupiter :670 900 kms.
• Diameter: 3 138 km.
• fourth biggest satellite from Jupiter
• Discovered by: Galileo

Io

A bit bigger than the moon, Io orbits around Jupiter from about the same distance as the moon is to the earth.

Active volcanoes are present everywhere on Io.

• Distance from Jupiter: 421 600 km
• Time to orbit Jupiter: 1. 77 days
• Diameter: 3 643km
• Discovered by: Galileo

Ganymede

Ganymede is the largest moon of Jupiter, as Callisto it is mostly composed of a rocky core with a water/ice mantle and a crust of rock and ice. It was formed with 60% of rock and 40% of ice.

• Distance of Jupiter: 1. O7 million km.
• Time top orbit Jupiter: 7.15 days
• Diameter: 5262 km

Callisto

As Europa, this satellite is brighter than the moon. Callisto is a bit smaller than Mercury but contains on third of its mass.

Callisto is surely the most heavily cratered object in our known solar system. Its largest crater is named Valhalla. Valhalla's diameter is 2 485 km.

• Distance from Jupiter: 1.88 million km
• Time to orbit Jupiter: 16.69 days
• Diameter: 4821km