人類歷來對地球的廣闊抱有無限想像，但當我們將地球與太陽系中的巨型行星木星進行對比時，這種想像便顯得微不足道。木星是太陽系中體積最大、自轉最快的行星，其龐大程度驚人：體積大約可以容納1300多個地球，足以讓人直觀感受到它的宏偉。與此同時，木星也是太陽系中質量最大的行星，其質量約為太陽的千分之一，卻相當於其他七大行星質量總和的2.5倍。這意味著，木星的引力遠遠超過任何其他行星，其對整個太陽系的行星運動與小天體軌道都具有重要影響力。

木星作為一顆氣體巨行星，沒有固體表面，其主要組成是氫和氦。行星內部結構複雜，核心可能存在類地核，但外層則是厚重的大氣層，氣壓與溫度隨深度迅速增高，內部氣體甚至可能轉化為金屬氫，形成強大的磁場。木星的大氣上呈現出明顯的帶狀結構和著名的大紅斑，這是一個至少存在數百年的巨大反氣旋風暴，其尺寸可容納數個地球。

自20世紀起，人類對木星展開多次探測行動。至今，除著名的木星冰月探測器（JUICE），共有六個人類探測器飛向這顆巨大的行星，對其結構、大氣、磁場以及衛星系統進行深入研究。最早的探測包括1973年發射的先鋒10號，它是第一個穿越木星附近並拍攝近距離影像的探測器，隨後先鋒11號、旅行者1號與2號相繼到訪，提供木星大氣帶、大紅斑及衛星系統的首批精細觀測數據。1995年，伽利略號進入軌道，成為第一個長期環繞木星運行的探測器，對木星及其衛星進行了系統性研究，揭示冰月如歐羅巴可能存在地下海洋的重大線索。近年來，朱諾號（Juno）自2016年抵達木星軌道，以極地軌道方式對行星磁場、大氣動力和內部結構進行精密測量，為科學家提供大量新資料。最新的木星冰月探測器（JUICE）則聚焦於探索木星的冰衛星系統及其潛在海洋，進一步拓展我們對木星系統的理解。

木星的宏大與特殊地位，使其成為天文學家和行星科學家研究太陽系起源、行星形成以及氣體巨行星演化的關鍵對象。它不僅在天文學研究中佔有核心地位，也時刻提醒人類，與宇宙中這些巨型天體相比，地球的廣闊其實只是微不足道的一角。

Human beings have always imagined Earth to be vast, yet when we compare it to the giant planet Jupiter, such imagination quickly pales in scale. Jupiter is the largest and fastest-rotating planet in the Solar System, with a volume large enough to fit over 1,300 Earths. In terms of mass, it is also the heaviest planet in the Solar System: about one-thousandth the mass of the Sun, yet roughly 2.5 times the combined mass of the other seven planets. This immense mass gives Jupiter a gravitational influence that significantly affects the orbits of other planets and countless smaller bodies throughout the Solar System.

As a gas giant, Jupiter lacks a solid surface and is primarily composed of hydrogen and helium. Its internal structure is complex, potentially containing a rocky or metallic core, while its thick outer layers experience rapidly increasing pressures and temperatures, with portions of hydrogen possibly transitioning into a metallic state that generates a powerful magnetic field. Jupiter’s atmosphere features striking banded patterns and the iconic Great Red Spot, a massive anticyclonic storm that has persisted for centuries and is large enough to encompass multiple Earths.

Human exploration of Jupiter began in the 20th century and has included six spacecraft missions to date, including the notable Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE). The earliest missions, such as Pioneer 10 (1973), provided the first close-up images of Jupiter, followed by Pioneer 11 and Voyager 1 and 2, which delivered detailed observations of Jupiter’s atmospheric bands, Great Red Spot, and extensive satellite system. In 1995, the Galileo spacecraft became the first to orbit Jupiter, offering comprehensive studies of the planet and its moons, including revealing evidence of subsurface oceans on icy moons like Europa. More recently, Juno, which arrived in 2016, has been studying Jupiter’s polar regions, magnetic field, atmosphere, and internal structure with unprecedented precision. The JUICE mission, currently en route, is focused on exploring Jupiter’s icy moons and their potential oceans, further expanding our understanding of the Jupiter system.

Jupiter’s massive size and unique position make it a crucial object of study for astronomers and planetary scientists, offering insights into the formation of the Solar System, the evolution of gas giants, and planetary dynamics. Its grandeur continually reminds humanity that, compared to these colossal celestial bodies, Earth’s vastness is but a tiny fraction of the cosmic scale.