JUNO: The lowdown on NASA’s mission to Jupiter Ever since Galileo first turned his telesc

JUNO: The lowdown on NASA’s mission to Jupiter Ever since Galileo first turned his telescope to Jupiter back in 1610, we’ve been marvelling at the monstrous planet. We’ve been captivated by its sheer size (so big it can fit 1,300 Earths inside), its moons (all 67 of them), its incredible magnetic field (which creates shimmering auroras at the poles) and its swirling storms - including the Great Red Spot, which has been raging for more than 300 years. In mythology, Jupiter was the king of the Roman gods, and the goddess Juno was his wife. In one story, Jupiter draws a veil of clouds around himself to hide his mischief - and Juno was the only person who was able to peer through the clouds and see Jupiter’s true nature. Like its namesake, NASA’s Juno spacecraft  will help us unlock the mysteries beneath the giant gas planet’s thick clouds.After travelling 2.8 billion kilometres over the past five years, Juno will arrive late Monday night and will spend nearly two years orbiting the giant gas planet.  Powered by solar panels each the size of a bus, Juno will study Jupiter’s atmosphere, finding out far the clouds and storms go down - are they just a thin layer, or do they go all the way down to the planet’s core? And what’s the core made of? Is it metallic hydrogen, or rock, or heavy metal, or something we haven’t even thought of? Juno will also help us study the formation of Jupiter and indeed the formation of the whole solar system. We know that Jupiter is made up of hydrogen and helium gas, like the Sun, but it also contains a higher proportion of heavier elements and we’re currently not sure why. Learning more about what Jupiter’s composition will help us figure out how it formed, over four billions of years ago when our sun was was newborn. This in turn will help us understand the formation and evolution planetary systems we’re discovering around distant stars. Juno will also study the Great Red Spot, measure the water in the atmosphere, and study the enormously strong magnetic fields and how they create Jupiter’s auroras. But Jupiter is a dangerous neighbourhood to explore. The intense magnetic field creates a radiation belt around the planet, made up of super energetic particles. Even though Juno is equipped with titanium vault to protect its scientific equipment, eventually the radiation will fry the spacecraft’s electronics. Then, NASA scientists will direct Juno to plunge into the clouds of Jupiter, where it will break apart and melt. But two years are a long time to explore the enigmas beneath the swirling clouds of Jupiter - and Juno is sure to answer many of our burning questions.Keep an eye on the developments over at NASA, or check out Hubble’s view of Jupiter’s spectacular auroras -- source link
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