Endless Facts, One Snippet at a Time
Juno Mission: Unlocking the Secrets of Jupiter
- NASA’s Juno spacecraft launched in 2011 and arrived at Jupiter in 2016.
- It orbits Jupiter in a highly elliptical path to avoid the planet’s intense radiation.
- Juno studies Jupiter’s atmosphere, magnetic field, and deep interior.
- Its main goal is to learn how Jupiter formed and how giant planets shape solar systems.
- Juno revealed that Jupiter’s famous Great Red Spot extends hundreds of miles deep.
- It discovered giant cyclones swirling at the planet’s poles in striking patterns.
- Juno measures Jupiter’s powerful auroras, the brightest in the solar system.
- Its instruments probe beneath the clouds, showing Jupiter may not have a solid core.
- Juno is powered by solar panels, unusual for a spacecraft so far from the Sun.
- Stunning JunoCam images have brought Jupiter’s beauty closer to Earth than ever before.