The $1.1 Billion Juno Probe project developed by NASA has just sent back to Earth incredible photographs of Jupiter and it’s ‘Giant Red Spot’ which was shot with an optical camera known as the JunoCam. The spacecraft has been documenting the giant gas plant like never before, recording the planet with sophisticated radars, radiation detectors, and magnetic and gravitational field recorders to give us a better understanding of Jupiter. Scientists hope to learn more about the ratio of oxygen to hydrogen and a better estimate of Jupiter’s core mass which will hopefully help us discover how Jupiter was formed and it’s role in the Solar System.
Because Jupiter is a gas planet, it is constant changing and therefore it has been interesting to see the type of data collected, expanding our understanding of our Solar System. For example, Jupiter’s’ icy moon Europa is one of the most fascinating aspects of the exploration. One of the four moons orbiting Jupiter, it is the sixth largest moon in the Solar System.
First explored in 1973 and 1974, the two Voyager probes were able to provide the most detailed photographs of the moon’s icy surface. The photographs caused many scientists to speculate about the possibility of a liquid ocean – and even life – underneath. If life or evidence of life was discovered on the icy moon, it wouldn't be on the surface but instead it would be hidden in the depths of the oceans, where it is warmer and the pull of a nearby planet's gravity keeps water liquid.
Because Jupiter is a gas planet, it is constant changing and therefore it has been interesting to see the type of data collected, expanding our understanding of our Solar System. For example, Jupiter’s’ icy moon Europa is one of the most fascinating aspects of the exploration. One of the four moons orbiting Jupiter, it is the sixth largest moon in the Solar System.
First explored in 1973 and 1974, the two Voyager probes were able to provide the most detailed photographs of the moon’s icy surface. The photographs caused many scientists to speculate about the possibility of a liquid ocean – and even life – underneath. If life or evidence of life was discovered on the icy moon, it wouldn't be on the surface but instead it would be hidden in the depths of the oceans, where it is warmer and the pull of a nearby planet's gravity keeps water liquid.
In addition, activity on the seafloor could provide nourishment to feed living microorganisms. and the ice would block dangerous radiation that pummels the surface. So, while there's plenty of other science to do at Europa, understanding its habitat is a key piece of the mission.
Juno is the second spacecraft to orbit Jupiter after the nuclear powered Gailileo. Unlike earlier spacecraft, the Juno Probe is powered by solar energy, commonly used by satellites orbiting Earth. Juno also categorizes storms and pressure ridges that form on Jupiter has helped scientists understand the persistent high-pressure region in the atmosphere of Jupiter known as the Great Red Spot. It is a weather storm called an anticyclone which is wind that flows in the opposite direction of a low-pressure region. It is the largest in the Solar System and has been continuously observed since 1830.
In order to tackle Jupiter’s mysteries, the spacecraft, its instruments and its managers are all building on technology and strategies by previous missions which will give us a better understanding of where we came from and how the Solar System was formed.
Juno is the second spacecraft to orbit Jupiter after the nuclear powered Gailileo. Unlike earlier spacecraft, the Juno Probe is powered by solar energy, commonly used by satellites orbiting Earth. Juno also categorizes storms and pressure ridges that form on Jupiter has helped scientists understand the persistent high-pressure region in the atmosphere of Jupiter known as the Great Red Spot. It is a weather storm called an anticyclone which is wind that flows in the opposite direction of a low-pressure region. It is the largest in the Solar System and has been continuously observed since 1830.
In order to tackle Jupiter’s mysteries, the spacecraft, its instruments and its managers are all building on technology and strategies by previous missions which will give us a better understanding of where we came from and how the Solar System was formed.
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