Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system, so enormous that more than 1,300 Earths could fit inside it. This giant ball of gas sits fifth from the Sun, between Mars and Saturn, and spins so fast that a day on Jupiter lasts only about 10 hours, even though it takes nearly 12 Earth years to complete one orbit around the Sun.

When you look at pictures of Jupiter, the most striking feature is the Great Red Spot, a massive storm that has raged for at least 300 years and is so large that two or three Earths could fit inside it. The planet's surface shows beautiful bands of swirling clouds in shades of orange, brown, white, and red, created by powerful winds and storms in its thick atmosphere.

Jupiter has at least 95 moons, including four large ones that Galileo discovered in 1610 using one of the first telescopes. The planet can act like a protective guardian for Earth, its enormous gravity pulling in asteroids and comets that might otherwise crash into our planet.