This image of Jupiter was taken by Voyage I.
Click on image for full size
Courtesy of NASA

Discover Jupiter

Jupiter is the biggest planet in our solar system! It's also very bright in the sky. We don't know who discovered it, but we do know the ancient Greeks named the planet after the god, Zeus.

The United States sent four spacecraft to visit Jupiter starting in 1979. Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 were the first two to go. Later, Voyagers I and II flew by the planet. Many of the pictures you see of Jupiter came from one of these spacecraft.

Jupiter's moons are interesting too! Galileo found Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto in 1610. Many others were found by the Voyager spacecraft. Scientists say there are still many more that we haven't found yet!

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