Book 8, Question 60
Why Is Jupiter a Gas Giant?
Jupiter is a gas giant because it's made mostly of hydrogen and helium gas, with no solid ground like Earth's crust! You couldn't stand on it. As you go deeper, the gas gets thicker and denser, and finally becomes a hot liquid.
More fun facts
- Gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn are made mostly of hydrogen and helium.
- Jupiter has no solid surface to stand on.
- Scientists are still not sure whether Jupiter has a solid core deep inside or a thick, super-hot, dense soup.
- Some gas giants around other stars, called hot Jupiters, orbit so close that their temperatures soar into the thousands of degrees.
- Hot Jupiters were among the first planets found around other stars.
Sources: NASA Science, NASA
Questions kids ask
Could you land on Jupiter?
No. Jupiter is a gas giant with no solid surface.