The planet Jupiter is two and a half times larger than all the other planets of the solar system combined. It consists mainly of gases and therefore belongs to the gas giants. 1. Only the Sun, Moon and Venus are brighter than Jupiter in the Solar System. It is one of the five planets visible to the naked eye from Earth. 2. The first to describe their observations of Jupiter were the ancient Babylonians around the seventh century BC. Size of Earth compared to Jupiter 3. Jupiter has the shortest day in the Solar System. It rotates around its axis in just 9 hours and 55 minutes. Such rapid rotation and loose structure give the planet a slightly flattened shape. Jupiter revolves around the Sun once every 11.8 Earth years. 4. The large reddish spot on the surface of Jupiter is actually a huge storm that has been raging for about 350 years. The territory of the storm is so huge that it is possible to place three Earth-sized planets inside it. 5. The upper layers of Jupiter's atmosphere consist of sulfur and ammonia crystals. Below are layers of gaseous and liquid hydrogen. The core is formed from ice, stones and metal. 6. Jupiter's satellite Ganymede is the largest in the Solar System. Ganymede is larger than the planet Mercury. Jupiter's moons are Callisto, Ganymede, Europa and Io 7. Jupiter, like all the gas giants in the Solar System, has a ring system. Its rings, unlike Saturn's rings, are much darker and consist of dust and small solid particles that are the remains of comets and asteroids. Their thickness ranges from 2,000 to 12,500 kilometers. 8. In total, eight spacecraft were sent to explore Jupiter.