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PIP’S STARHAVEN · FIELD NOTES · PARENTS & TEACHERS

Jupiter: the giant with cloud stripes

Jupiter consists mainly of hydrogen and helium. Increasing pressure changes the material deep inside into dense fluids; deeper still, hydrogen can conduct electricity like a metal.

Calling it a gas giant does not mean it is a hollow balloon. Temperature and pressure become extreme below the clouds. Its colored bands trace atmospheric circulation, rather than stripes painted onto a solid surface.

Wonder about this

Could a rover drive across Jupiter’s cloud stripes?

A science clue

No. The stripes are clouds, and Jupiter has no solid surface suitable for a rover.