Jupiter stands for expansion, abundance and wisdom. It is associated with optimism and success, but also with problems caused by excess.
The house that Jupiter is in shows which aspect of our life is currently undergoing expansion, and which area is likely to be especially successful. Note, however, that Jupiter moves very slowly. This means that any effects it has will work over a very long period of time, and may not be noticeable on a day-to-day basis.
The aspects which Jupiter makes with other planets show those energies which are most likely to be working in a successful, expansive way. For example, a favourable aspect to Mars might show that we were able to use our sexual/male/aggressive energies very constructively. Although Jupiter itself moves very slowly, aspects with more quickly moving planets come and go as these planets move around our chart. This means that they can easily show a more immediate effect (unlike the house position of Jupiter, as described above).
Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System: it is 318 times more massive than the Earth. Because of its low density 1.33 grams per cubic centimetre, compared with the Earth's 5.52 - it is 1500 times larger.
Perhaps its most intriguing feature is the Red Spot. Although this is an atmospheric phenomenon, historical records show that it has been around for the past 300 years.
Download ZIP-format AVI file of Jupiter rotating (531K)
Download photograph of Jupiter's ring system taken by Voyager 2. (JPG 7K)
| Mechanical Data | |
| Diameter | 71,492 km |
| Mass | 1.9 x 1027 |
| Average distance from Sun | 5.2 AU |
| Period of rotation | 9.8 Earth hours |
| Period of revolution | 11.86 Earth years |
| Temperature on surface | 120 K (at top of cloud layer) |
| Atmosphere | 90% Hydrogen, 10% Helium, 0.07% Methane |
