May 6, 2024

Stunning Image of Jupiter’s Atmosphere Captured by NASA’s Juno Spacecraft Reveals High-Altitude Hazes

The planet is surrounded by at least 95 moons, the 4 biggest being Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto– likewise understood as the Galilean moons, named after the astronomer Galileo Galilei who found them. These moons each have unique attributes, from volcanic activity to possible subsurface oceans.
An artists principle of the Juno spacecraft in orbit around Jupiter. Credit: NASA.
The Juno objective, released by NASA on August 5, 2011, aims to understand the origin and advancement of Jupiter. This solar-powered spacecraft reached Jupiter in July 2016, and its main objective is to peek below Jupiters thick cloud cover to study the planets environment and magnetosphere. Juno achieves this by using a suite of scientific instruments, including the JunoCam, an electronic camera specifically developed to record high-resolution images of Jupiters poles.
The Juno mission likewise intends to figure out whether Jupiter has a strong core, map its electromagnetic field, step water and ammonia in the deep environment, and observe the planets auroras. Through its comprehensive flybys, the Juno spacecraft is providing extraordinary insights into Jupiters structure, environment, and the basic processes that drive its intricate system.

NASAs Juno objective accomplished a considerable turning point with the conclusion of its 49th close flyby of Jupiter on March 1, 2023. The spacecraft, throughout its flyby, captured impressive images of high-altitude haze bands forming over cyclones in an area described as Jet N7. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/ MSSS, Image processing by Björn Jónsson © CC NC SA
On March 1, 2023, NASAs Juno objective completed its 49th close flyby of Jupiter. As the spacecraft flew low over the giant planets cloud tops, its JunoCam instrument caught this take a look at bands of high-altitude haze forming above cyclones in an area known at Jet N7.
Citizen researcher Björn Jónsson processed a raw image from the JunoCam instrument, improving the contrast and sharpness. At the time the image was taken, Juno had to do with 5,095 miles (8,200 kilometers) above Jupiters cloud tops, at a latitude of about 66 degrees.
This photo of Jupiter, taken from the Hubble Space Telescope on June 27, 2019, features the Great Red Spot, a storm the size of Earth that has actually been raving for hundreds of years. Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center), and M.H. Wong (University of California, Berkeley).
Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system, renowned for its huge size and distinct bands of swirling, vibrant clouds. This gas giant is best recognized for its Great Red Spot, a storm thats bigger than Earth and has been raging for centuries. Jupiter possesses a remarkable magnetosphere, producing extreme radiation zones and a dramatic influence on its environment.

NASAs Juno objective achieved a significant milestone with the conclusion of its 49th close flyby of Jupiter on March 1, 2023. The Juno objective, released by NASA on August 5, 2011, intends to comprehend the origin and development of Jupiter. This solar-powered spacecraft arrived at Jupiter in July 2016, and its main objective is to peek beneath Jupiters thick cloud cover to study the worlds atmosphere and magnetosphere. Juno accomplishes this by utilizing a suite of scientific instruments, including the JunoCam, a video camera particularly created to catch high-resolution images of Jupiters poles.