Solar System · king of the giants
Jupiter
The biggest planet. The biggest storms. The biggest headaches.
Jupiter is the giant of the Solar System, with storms bigger than Earth and no surface to land on. Nobody lives in it. Plenty of people live around it.
Orbital stations circle the planet, its moons are busy with research towns, and Jupiter's huge gravity acts as the Solar System's guard dog, pulling in comets that might otherwise head for Earth.
Spotwatch Ring has studied the Great Red Spot for centuries. The scientists treat it like a grumpy old neighbour.
Atmosphere
Swirling bands of cream, rust and gold; the Great Red Spot glaring like an eye.
Local quirk
Locals call any small problem 'not Jupiter-sized'.
Regions · proposed names, not locked canon
Spotwatch Ring
An orbital station circling above the Great Red Spot, home to storm scientists.
Io Approach
The volcanic moon Io, visited only for science and only from a distance.
Europa Lanes
The busy shipping lanes down to Europa Deepwell.
Hazards
- ▲Radiation beltsJupiter's magnetic field traps fierce radiation near the inner moons.
- ▲Giant stormsSome are bigger than Earth and last for centuries.
- ▲Crushing gravity wellGetting close is easy. Getting away is hard.
Visitor tips
- ✦Shield up before you go near Io.
- ✦Never fly into the Spot.
- ✦Bring snacks for Dr. Brand.
Local life
- ●Storm scientists
- ●Station crews
- ●Moon prospectors
A day on Jupiter
Days on Spotwatch last about ten hours, because Jupiter spins fast.
Shift changes happen while the Red Spot rolls past the window, which never gets old.
Locals & customs
Dr. Hollis Brand
Chief storm scientist. Talks to the Red Spot. Claims it talks back.
The Io Hermit
A prospector who lives alone near Io and only answers calls on Tuesdays.
- ◆Every new crew member names a storm.
- ◆Nobody says 'calm' out loud on Spotwatch.
Legends & history
The Eye That Blinks
Legend says the Great Red Spot once closed, just for a moment, three hundred years ago.
Dr. Brand has the data. He refuses to share it until he understands it.
Crew log
“I've seen bigger storms. On the inside of my own head.”
“Radiation is high. Put your helmet back on.”
Story seed · in development
The Spot Is Moving
The Great Red Spot starts drifting in an odd direction. Zamfyr takes it personally.
Someone has parked a gravity device deep in Jupiter's clouds, and it's nudging comets toward Earth's lanes.
Earthward stakes
Jupiter's gravity sweeps up comets and debris that would otherwise threaten Earth. Anyone tampering with it is tampering with Earth's shield.
Onobo packs
Science inspiration
Jupiter is real: a gas giant with no ordinary solid surface and a giant storm called the Great Red Spot. Its stations are fiction.
NASA: Jupiter