Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the solar system. It is two and a half times as massive as all of the other planets combined, and has an apparent magnitude of -2.8. There are also at least 63 moons. Jupiter is named after the King of the Roman Gods.
Jupiter was a mesmerizing sight in the skies of its moon Io what with its ever changing cloud patterns and storm systems. It appeared forty times as wide and four hundred times as bright as the Moon as seen from the Earth. This meant that the side of Io that faced Jupiter did not have a truly dark night except for the few hours in every 42.5 where Jupiter eclipsed the Sun.
In 2010, the German Reich began exploring the possibility of sending a manned mission to certain of Jupiter's moons. Most doubted that it would ever get out of the talking stage.
