Jupiter, the fifth planet from the Sun, is the largest in our solar system:

• Distance from Sun: Approximately 778 million kilometers (483 million miles)
• Diameter: About 139,820 kilometers (86,881 miles)
• Day Length: 9.9 Earth hours (fastest rotation of any planet)
• Year Length: 11.86 Earth years
• Surface Temperature: -145°C (-234°F) at cloud tops
• Atmosphere: Mostly hydrogen (90%) and helium (10%), with trace elements

Jupiter is a gas giant with remarkable characteristics:

• Famous for its Great Red Spot, a storm larger than Earth
• Colorful bands of clouds due to atmospheric dynamics
• Strong magnetic field, 20,000 times stronger than Earth's
• At least 95 known moons, including the four large Galilean moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto
• Faint ring system made of dust particles

In Roman mythology, Jupiter is a central figure:

• Equivalent to Greek god Zeus
• King of the gods, ruler of sky and thunder
• Associated with justice, law, and order
• Often depicted with a thunderbolt and eagle

Jupiter has been studied by several space missions:

• First close observations by Pioneer 10 and 11 in 1973-1974
• Voyager 1 and 2 provided detailed images in 1979
• Galileo orbiter (1995-2003) studied planet and moons extensively
• Juno mission (2016-present) investigates atmosphere and interior
• Future missions like ESA's JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) planned for 2030s

Learn More About Juno

Venus, the second planet from the Sun, is a celestial beauty:

• Distance from Sun: Approximately 108 million kilometers (67 million miles)
• Diameter: About 12,104 kilometers (7,521 miles)
• Day Length: 243 Earth days (rotates very slowly)
• Year Length: 225 Earth days
• Surface Temperature: Average of 462°C (864°F) due to extreme greenhouse effect
• Atmosphere: Thick, composed mainly of carbon dioxide with sulfuric acid clouds

Venus shares some similarities with Earth but has unique traits:

• Often called Earth's "sister planet" due to similar size and composition
• Surface features vast volcanic plains, mountains, and large craters
• Rotates retrograde (opposite direction to most planets)
• No moons or rings
• Brightest object in night sky after the Moon due to reflective clouds

In Roman mythology, Venus is the goddess of love and beauty:

• Equivalent to Greek goddess Aphrodite
• Associated with romance, fertility, and prosperity
• Mother of Cupid (Eros in Greek mythology)
• Often depicted in art and literature as a symbol of feminine beauty

Venus has been a target for numerous space missions:

• First visited by NASA's Mariner 2 in 1962
• Soviet Venera program landed probes on surface in 1970s
• Magellan spacecraft mapped 98% of surface in 1990s
• Current missions like ESA's Venus Express study its atmosphere

Discover Venera Legacy