Title: The Jovian Planets
1The Jovian Planets
2The Jovian, or gaseous, planets have rocky cores
surrounded by thick atmospheres. The radius is
measured to the point at which the pressure drops
to 1 atmosphere.
3The Voyager Mission
4Jupiter
Diameter 11 DE Rotation Period 10
hours Orbital Period 12 years Distance
from Sun 5.203AU Orbit Eccentricity
0.05 Tilt 3 degrees Temperature
-120C Atmosphere hydrogen, helium, ammonia and
methane Gravity 2.34g Moons gt39 Visits Pioneer
10 11, Voyager 1 2, Galileo, Cassini
5Voyager 1
6The Galilean Moons
Io
Europa
3630 km
3140 km
Ganymede
5260 km
4800 km
Callisto
7The Galileo Probe
Launched by space shuttle in 1989 Gravity assists
with the Venus and the Earth Observed asteroid
Ida, SL9 impact on Jupiter Arrived at Jupiter in
December 1995 Dropped probe into Jupiter's
atmosphere Orbited the Galilean moons until 2003
8Being the closest moon to Jupiter, Io's core is
heated by Jupiter's tidal forces, creating
large-scale volcanic activity that coats the
moon's surface with yellow sulfur.
Io
9Io has a young surface, with no impact craters,
which is constantly being renewed
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11Shoemaker-Levy 9 Impact Upon Jupiter