Tuesday, September 22, 2009

ABC Wednesday

J is for JUPITER



JUPITER - King of the Roman Gods; the God of Sky and Thunder and the God who ruled over Law and Order.

Oh where is he now when we so badly need him.

And then there is JUPITER, the largest planet in our skies. Two and one half times as large as all the rest of the planets put together, and three times the diameter of Earth.

Jupiter is a Gaseous body, as are Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Together they are referred to as the Jovian Planets.

The gas on Jupiter is mainly hydrogen, with about one quarter helium and a rocky core.

There is a Great Red Spot on Jupiter, - a giant storm which has been raging since at least the 17th century when it was first discovered.

Just recently, in July of this year, Jupiter was hit by another body, causing a large dark spot on the surface of the planet estimated to be the length of Europe and Asia.

Sixty three moons circle Jupiter. The four largest are called the Galilean Moons, after Galileo, who discovered them.



Here is Jupiter, with these Galilean Moons, as photographed by Cameron Ladmore.

Darkness comes early in the evening, as we pass the Equinox. To the south, midway in the sky above K Mountain, Jupiter shines like a giant headlight, easily the brightest object in the sky and it will remain so until the end of the year.

Wikipedia has tons of information about both these mighty Jupiters...

See what else J stands for by going here to ABC Wednesday.

11 comments:

Carol said...

Two great Js...and a very interesting post...I love the Galilean moons...what a shot...

April said...

Wonderful post! I love looking at the nighttime skies. Fantastic photograph of Jupiter and Galileo's moons!

EG CameraGirl said...

Yes, where is Jupiter when you need him?

Jupiter was hit by something VERY big to leave such a scar. That's a spooky thought!

Wonderful post!

Reader Wil said...

Thank you so much for this informative post! It's all so interesting and almost beyond comprehension! Thanks also for the visit!

Rune Eide said...

I just MUST learn to recognize the planet when I see it. And I call myself interested in astronomy...

Mara said...

You can see them from where you live? How brilliant is that???

Jay said...

Wow ... sixty three moons!! The sky over Jupiter must look very busy!

Joy said...

Its a fascinating planet and the 'hit' has added another mystery. I did not know it had as many moons as that. Enjoy your planet watching.

Roger Owen Green said...

63! When I was growing up, some 40 years ago, they only knew about 12. Great post.

Tumblewords: said...

Wonderful post! Strangely enough, earlier today I posted a short poem about running away to Ganymede. Great minds, it seems.... :)

Gerald (Ackworth born) said...

Great to see the moons of Jupiter. I remember seeing them through a telescope from a cold field observatory in New Zealand back in 2001.