Hobbies And Interests
Early Observations
Jupiter is one of the brightest objects in the sky. Only the sun, moon and Venus are brighter. Early observers were able to note that Jupiter wandered across the sky along with a few other objects. These objects were named planets.
Galileo's Discovery
Galileo Galilei began observing Jupiter through the telescope in 1610. In his observations he discovered four moons orbiting the planet. These four moons provided evidence that not all objects in the sky orbited the Earth and added support to a heliocentric (sun-centered) model of the solar system.
Modern Exploration
Pioneer 10 became the first spacecraft to reach Jupiter in 1973. Since then, multiple spacecraft have visited the planet including Galileo, which dropped a probe into its thick atmosphere.
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9
In 1994, a comet ripped apart by Jupiter's gravity during a previous pass plummeted into Jupiter's atmosphere. For months, dark spots remained in Jupiter's atmosphere where the comet fragments had fallen through the clouds. This was the first time the effects of a collision between bodies in the solar system were observed.