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WHAT TO SEE
Jupiter is one of the four 'gas giant' planets. Unlike rocky worlds like the Earth, Jupiter is composed almost entirely of gas. Inside this swirling ball of gas lies a small core of solid rock.
The bright colours in Jupiter's clouds are caused by complex interactions of various simple gases. Hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, water and methane are all present, along with clouds of ammonia ice and ammonium hydrosulphide.
The distinct bands are created by high-speed winds, with adjacent rings blowing in opposite directions. Between the bands are vortices where wind speeds reach 600km per hour.
The Great Red Spot
This circular knot of gases marks a vast thunderstorm that has raged on the planet's surface for over 300 years. The spot is over twice the size of Earth and is the largest thunderstorm in the Solar System.
Jupiter's most prominent feature is even visible from the Earth. How such a huge storm has survived for so long remains a mystery.
Jupiter's rings
An infrared imager is a must-have gadget for any trip to Jupiter. Like Saturn, Jupiter also has a system of rings. They're very faint when viewed with the naked eye. But scanned in the infrared spectrum, Jupiter's rings are a colourful sight.
Unlike Saturn's rings, Jupiter's do not contain ice crystals. They are probably composed of debris from meteor collisions on Jupiter's moons.
 Find out when you can spot meteor showers (shooting stars) from Earth
LOCAL HISTORY
The Romans named the planet Jupiter after their king of the gods - a fortunate coincidence since they couldn't possibly have known that Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System.
The Greeks referred to the planet as Zeus, who was the king in their mythology.
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TRAVEL INFORMATION
Journey time · 18 months
1 Jovian year · 11.9 Earth years
Contacting home · Time lag = 76.5 minutes
Before you leave
Jupiter has a gigantic magnetic field, so finding your way there won't be a problem. But make sure that your ship is properly insulated. Radiation from high energy particles trapped inside the field is strong enough to kill you.
When you arrive
The approach to Jupiter has to be one of the most spectacular journeys in the Solar System. Jupiter has a multitude of large moons. And there is evidence that there may be many more smaller satellites, so keep your eyes peeled.
The origins of these smaller moons remains a mystery. Many are in 'retrograde orbit', meaning that they circle in the opposite direction to the major moons. So these odd moons may be asteroids that have been captured from the asteroid belt by Jupiter's immense gravity.
Explore the asteroid belt
Exploring Jupiter
Jupiter is a 'gas giant', so it's not possible to land a ship on its surface. Travelling far below the clouds of this planet is not advised. Temperatures and pressures soon begin to rise. So far, no probes have survived over 150 metres below the surface of Jupiter.
SPOTTING JUPITER FROM THE EARTH
Jupiter is one of the easiest planets to spot from the Earth. Though Venus is brighter, Jupiter is further from the Sun, so it's visible long after the Sun and Venus have set. Other than the Moon, it's the brightest object you can see in the middle of the night.
Four of Jupiter's moons - Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto - are easily visible with binoculars. When Galileo discovered these moons in 1610, they provided the first evidence that not all heavenly bodies revolved around the Earth.
Visit BBC History to find out more about Galileo
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