Jupiter

Characteristics of Astronomic Body
Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. Its diameter is 88,846 miles. It is usually the second brightest planet. The planet's surface is made of dense red, brown, yellow, and white clouds. These clouds are arranged into light-colored places named zonesand darker regions are belts that circle the planet's equator. Jupiter orbits oval shaped around the sun. Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun, its average distance from the sun is around 483,780,000 miles. The planet does one orbit in about 4,333 Earth days, thats about 12 Earth years! Jupiter is the fastest orbiting planet. It takes it around 9 hours and 56 minutes to spin around once on it's axis. Jupiter is also the heaviest planet, and even though it has such a high mass, it has a low density!



Symbols and Duties of Mythological Figure
Jupiter's symbols are the thunderbolt or forked lightening and the animals that symbolize him are the eagle and the woodpecker. He could also change into a bull or a swan while pursuing his many love affairs. Jupiter's duties are to protect the skies, rule over everything, create magical rain during droughts, and the cloud gatherer. Jupiter is the ruler of all the gods.

Birth Story of Mythological Figure
Jupiter's mother is Rhea and his father is Cronus. When Jupiter was born his father tried to eat him but his mother replaced him with a rock and tricked Cronus into eating the rock in a blanket, when he thought it was Jupiter. Jupiter's mother then hid him in a cave so Cronus would not find him. From then on Jupiter was raised on goats milk and he grew very quickly. When he started feeding he would eat out of the horn of plenty which was never empty.

Popular Story of Mythological Figure
Jupiter got angry at Prometheus and Epitmetheus when he thought they stole fire from heaven. Jupiter was known for his tricks and evil gifts. He decided that the two brothers needed a punishment. He ordered Hephaestus to make a woman out of clay and to have the four winds breathe life into her. The woman he created was Pandora. Jupiter made Pandora beautiful, he also made her wicked, curious, and mischievous. Jupiter made her an evil to all men. He gave her a jar, that had all the evils of mankind in them. These included old age, sickness, labor, insanity, passion, vice& envy, spite, and revenge for mans mind. Jupiter knew that one day Pandora would give into her temptation and curiosity that she would open the box and release these evils upon the world. While Jupiter was making her Prometheus realized what he was doing, and warned his brother Epitmetheus. Jupiter was so furious with this fact, that he chained Prometheus to a rock naked in the Caucasus Mountains and had a vulture eat out his liver, everyday he would make Prometheus's liver to grow back whole, and the vulture would return and again, eat his liver. Epitmetheus was so terrified by his brothers punishment, that he accepted Jupiter's gift. Jupiter's evil plans would soon succeed.

== Myth or Science Connection Jupiter represents the ruler of the gods, Zeus. The planet, Jupiter is the largest and most magnificent which is representative of the great Zeus. Jupiter has 16 moons. The 4 largest are named after some of Zeus' affairs: Io, Europa, Ganymede , and Callisto. The other 12 moons represent more of Zeus' lovers, a few of his children, and others linked the great god. == =Works Cited= Hamilton, Edith, Mythology. Boston: Little Brown and Company, 1969. Print. Bulfinch, Thomas, The Age of Fable or The Beauties of Mythology. New York: The Heritage Press, 1942. Print. Graves, Robert, Greek Gods and Heroes. Garden City: DoubleDay and Company incorporated, 1960. Print.