Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and the fifth planet from the sun. The gas giant features beautiful banded cloud layers; a set of thin, dusty rings; the famous Great Red Spot; and dozens of varied moons.
How did Jupiter get its name?
As the fourth-brightest object in Earth’s sky — after the sun, the moon and Venus — Jupiter has been known about since ancient times. Our modern name for the planet is derived from the Roman king of the gods, Jupiter.
For the ancient Greeks, Jupiter was known as Phaethon, which means “blazing star,” while the Babylonians referred to the giant planet as Marduk, the patron deity of the city of Babylon. Other ancient names for Jupiter include Brhaspati (Sanskrit), Tzedek (Hebrew), Muxing (meaning “Star of Wood” in Mandarin) and Mushtari (Arabic), according to The Nine Planets.
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