November Highlights , Jupiter, King of Planets, , in the Night Sky.<br />'The Independent' reports that November will bring <br />Jupiter to its closest distance from Earth this year, <br />appearing high in the southern night sky.<br />Jupiter, named after the king of the gods in <br />Roman mythology, has the largest moons of any planet, <br />including Ganymede, which can be visible to the naked eye.<br />Jupiter, named after the king of the gods in <br />Roman mythology, has the largest moons of any planet, <br />including Ganymede, which can be visible to the naked eye.<br />Ganymedes, the largest moon in <br />our Solar System, is even larger <br />than the planet Mercury.<br />Jupiter's massive moons include Callisto, which is <br />almost as large as Ganymedes, in addition to Io and <br />Europa, which are about as large as our own moon.<br />Jupiter's massive moons include Callisto, which is <br />almost as large as Ganymedes, in addition to Io and <br />Europa, which are about as large as our own moon.<br />Due to Jupiter's powerful gravity, astronomers have <br />already identified at least 95 moons in orbit, and <br />believe that its entire retinue exceeds 100 moons.<br />'The Independent' reports that <br />Jupiter itself is the largest planet in <br />the solar system, equivalent to 1,300 Earths. .<br />'The Independent' reports that <br />Jupiter itself is the largest planet in <br />the solar system, equivalent to 1,300 Earths. .<br />Jupiter also has the fastest orbit <br />around the sun, with a Jovian 'day' <br />coming in at at under ten hours long.<br />The massive planet is entirely comprised <br />of gas, lacking any solid surface, and is slowly <br />shrinking as a result of its powerful gravity.<br />This gradual compression generates heat, which means <br />that Jupiter radiates twice as much heat as it receives<br />from the Sun, with a core temperature of 35,000 Celsius. .<br />NASA's Juno mission is currently orbiting Jupiter, <br />while the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) is on<br />its way to begin examining the planet's satellites. .<br />NASA's Juno mission is currently orbiting Jupiter, <br />while the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) is on<br />its way to begin examining the planet's satellites.
