Section 8: Jupiter and Its Moons

What is Jupiter mainly made of?

Hydrogen and helium, compressed by extreme pressure deep inside

What are Jupiter's belts and zones?

Bands of clouds in the upper atmosphere caused by different flows

What is the Great Red Spot?

A giant, long-lasting storm in Jupiter's atmosphere

Why are Jupiter's large moons scientifically interesting?

They feature volcanoes, ice, and possible subsurface oceans

What makes Io so volcanically active?

Gravity and nearby moons stretch and squeeze Io, powering volcanoes

What is special about Europa?

It has an icy crust with a likely liquid-water ocean underneath

What is Ganymede?

The largest moon in the solar system, even larger than Mercury

What does tidal heating mean?

Heat created inside a moon when gravity repeatedly stretches it