NASA's Juno, the first spacecraft to see under Jupiter's impenetrable clouds, finally noticed the clouds' intricate hues and structure on the giant planet.
The largest planet in the solar system's atmosphere has features that the explorer can see in the same colors as a human observer.
NASA’s Juno spacecraft observed the complex colors and structure of Jupiter’s clouds as it completed its 43rd close flyby of the giant planet on July 5, 2022. Citizen scientist Björn Jónsson created these two images using raw data from the JunoCam instrument aboard the spacecraft. When the raw image was taken, Juno was about 3,300 miles (5,300 kilometers) above Jupiter’s cloud tops, at a latitude of about 50 degrees. North is up. At that moment, the spacecraft traveled at about 130,000 mph (209,000 kilometers per hour) relative to the planet.
Jupiter's True Colors Shining Through NASA's JunoCam
The image was taken by Juno's JunoCam instrument on July 5, 2022, during its 43rd close flyby of Jupiter. Space.com said the image was taken as the spacecraft passed 3,300 miles (5,300 km) away from the gas giant's clouds at 130,000 mph.
Using Juno's raw data, citizen scientist Björn Jónsson created two images. Several photos on the left show the scene from Juno's perspective as it would seem to a human observer.
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In the image on the right, Jónsson artificially increased color saturation and contrasted to highlight the intricate structure of the planet's atmosphere.
The color shifts in the expanded image demonstrate the three-dimensionality of the powerful storms spinning in the planet's clouds and the differences in the chemical makeup of distinct parts of Jupiter's atmosphere.
The bright "pop-up" clouds in the high atmosphere may also be seen. A latitude of around 50 degrees north characterizes the area in the image.
Everything About NASA's Juno
Since its launch in 2011, Juno has been investigating the gas giant. One circuit of the planet's eccentric orbit is completed every 43 days when the probe periodically dives near the planet's swirling clouds. Juno descends to a distance of around 3,100 miles (5,000 km) above the gas giant's clouds at its closest approach.
Juno won't stop operating until at least 2025, as opposed to its initial 2021 retirement date. Citizen scientists may examine, analyze, and assist in classifying JunoCam photos. The Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, which developed the equipment, makes the photographs accessible on the JunoCam image processing website.
Jupiter, the biggest planet in our solar system, was reached by Juno on July 4, 2016, five years after it departed Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Devdiscourse mentioned.
The solar-powered probe is currently in an extended mission phase that requires it to carry out its investigations through September 2025. These investigations include close passes of Jupiter's north polar cyclones, flybys of the Jovian moons Europa and Io (along with Ganymede), and the first investigation of the planet's faint ring system.
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