Jupiter

Hello, little star-gazer. Can you see me way out here in space? I am the biggest planet in our whole space family, like a giant, gentle ball. I wear pretty, swirly stripes of orange, white, and brown. They go all the way around me. I also have a giant red spot on my tummy. It’s not a boo-boo. it’s a super-duper storm that has been swirling and twirling for a very long time. I love to spin and dance in the dark, starry sky. I am Jupiter.

People on your planet, Earth, have looked up at me for a long, long time. Way back on January 7th, 1610, a very smart man named Galileo Galilei looked through his special looking glass, called a telescope. He was the first person to see my family of little moons dancing all around me. He was so excited. Many, many years later, brave robot spaceships came to say hello. They were like little explorers flying through space. One was called Pioneer 10, and on December 3rd, 1973, it took my very first close-up picture. Then, on March 5th, 1979, another robot friend named Voyager 1 flew by to see my colorful clouds up close. They showed everyone on Earth how beautiful I am.

I am never lonely out here in space. I have lots and lots of moons that keep me company. They are like my best friends, and they spin and twirl right along with me. Even though I am very, very far away, you can sometimes see me shining in the night sky. I look like a very bright star. So, when you look up at night, wave hello to me. I am here to remind you to keep looking up, to wonder about our big, beautiful space family, and maybe one day, you can send a new spaceship to come and visit me.