Jupiter.
fifth planet in the Solar System and largest among all; gaseous giant mainly composed of hydrogen and helium
Exomoon Candidate Reported Orbiting Brown Dwarf CD-35 2722
Astronomers using the VLT have found evidence of a giant exosatellite orbiting a brown dwarf that itself orbits a star about 73 light-years away, with the candidate’s mass near Jupiter and an orbital period around 170 days. The discovery challenges traditional labels of planet, moon, and even star, prompting ongoing debate over nomenclature and definitions of exomoons as researchers describe the object as an exosatellite while many favor calling it a moon.
Science · 7 sources · Jul 23, 2026Read itThe journal
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About Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun, and the largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass nearly 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined and slightly less than one-thousandth the mass of the Sun. The diameter of Jupiter is 11 times that of Earth and a tenth that of the Sun. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 5.20 AU (778.5 Gm), with an orbital period of 11.86 years. Jupiter is the third-brightest natural object in the Earth's night sky, after the Moon and Venus, and has been observed since prehistoric times. Its name derives from that of Jupiter, the chief deity of ancient Roman religion.
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