Citizen scientist Thomas Thomopoulos developed this enhanced-color image utilizing raw data from the JunoCam instrument. At the time the raw image was taken, the Juno spacecraft was about 44,000 miles (71,000 kilometers) above Jupiters cloud tops, at a latitude of about 55 degrees south, and 15 times closer than Ganymede, which orbits about 666,000 miles (1.1 million kilometers) far from Jupiter. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/ MSSS, Image processing by Thomas Thomopoulos © CC BY
NASAs Juno spacecraft saw Ganymede cast a large, dark area on Jupiter during its 40th close go by the world on February 25, 2022.
JunoCam captured this image from really near to Jupiter, making Ganymedes shadow appear specifically big. The Juno spacecraft had to do with 44,000 miles (71,000 kilometers) above Jupiters cloud tops and 15 times closer to the world than Ganymede at the time the raw image was taken.
An observer at Jupiters cloud tops within the oval shadow would experience an overall eclipse of the Sun. Overall eclipses are more common on Jupiter than on Earth for a number of reasons: Jupiter has 4 significant moons (Ganymede, Io, Callisto, and Europa) that frequently pass in between Jupiter and the Sun, and since Jupiters moons orbit in an airplane close to Jupiters orbital aircraft, the moon shadows are often cast upon the world.
Jupiter is, by far, the largest world in the planetary system. It is more than two times as huge as all the other planets combined. It is fifth in line from the Sun. Jupiters iconic Great Red Spot is an enormous storm bigger than Earth that has actually raged for centuries. Its familiar stripes and swirls are really cold, windy clouds of ammonia and water, floating in an environment of hydrogen and helium.