Jupiter
Sagan Planet Walk
A failed star with a turbulent, rapidly-rotating atmosphere
Hurricanes much larger than Earth
• The Great Red Spot is a hurricane-like storm system that has been continuously active since its discovery by Galileo Galilei over 400 years ago.
• In 1995, a probe from the Galileo spacecraft measured Jupiter's atmospheric composition as mostly hydrogen and helium, and detected wind speeds over 325 km/h!
[Photo caption reads]
True-color image of Jupiter and its Great Red Spot.
Inset: Close-up of swirling clouds around the Great Red Spot, a storm more than twice the size of Earth.
A miniature Solar System
Jupiter has many moons. The four largest are:
• Callisto: oldest landscape in our solar system
• Ganymede: 5,268 km in diameter, the largest moon in our Solar System; its' tectonically scarred, and has beautiful auroras and a saltwater subsurface ocean.
• Europa: a potentially habitable world with a thin ice shell protecting a saltwater subsurface ocean
• Io: the most volcanically active body in our Solar System
[Photo caption reads]
Jupiter with its four largest moons: Calisto, Ganymede, Europa and Io.
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[Text in blue band at left side of marker]
The
One Jupiter day = 9 hours, 55 minutes
1 Jupiter year = 11.9 Earth years
Known moons: 67
The diameter of Jupiter = 11.2 Earth diameters
Earth Highest [temp] 57°c • Lowest [temp] -89°c
Jupiter Mean [temp] -108°c
Weight on Earth 100 [lbs]
Weight on Jupiter 253 [lbs]
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In the Sun-sized window are scaled representations of Jupiter and two of its moons, Io and Europa.
This sculpture and walking tour depict our Solar System at on five-billionth (1/5,000,000,000) of its actual size.
Erected 1997 by Sciencenter.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Science & Medicine. A significant historical year for this entry is 1995.
Location. 42° 26.434′ N, 76° 29.936′ W. Marker is in Ithaca, New York, in Tompkins County. Marker is at the intersection of Cayuga Street and Seneca Street (New York State Route 79), on the right when traveling north on Cayuga Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 215 North Cayuga Street, Ithaca NY 14850, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Ithaca College (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Ithaca Conservatory of Music (about 500 feet away);
Also see . . .
1. Jupiter: Overview: King of the Planets. NASA website entry (Submitted on June 23, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Sagan Planet Walk. SPIF website entry (Submitted on June 23, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 22, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 23, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 270 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 23, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.