Jupiter – Page 2 – Astronomy Now

Shallow lightning and ammonia ‘mushballs’ suggested by data from Juno probe

15 August 2020 William Harwood

Data from NASA’s Juno probe indicates violent electrical storms at higher altitudes than previously thought, storms that generate ammonia-enriched “mushballs” that fall like hail into the atmosphere below.

Your best chance to see Jupiter this year

13 July 2020 Mark Armstrong

Mighty Jupiter, the king of the planets, comes to opposition at 08:00 UT on 14 July, the moment when it lies opposite the Sun in sky at a distance of 619.4 million kilometres (384 million miles), or 4.139 astronomical units.

Juno captures sharp view of ‘Clyde’s Spot’ on stormy Jupiter

8 July 2020 Astronomy Now

A bright spot discovered on Jupiter by an amateur astronomer is revealed as a convective storm, or eruption, in close-range images captured by NASA’s Juno spacecraft.

Gemini North captures ‘lucky’ shot of Jupiter in all its infrared glory

11 May 2020 Astronomy Now

The Gemini North telescope has captured one of the sharpest views of Jupiter ever taken from the ground, an infrared mosaic revealing new insights into the giant planet’s turbulent atmosphere.

See the waning crescent Moon meet the dawn planets, 15–16 April 2020

9 April 2020 Ade Ashford

There’s a lot of planetary activity in the dawn sky in mid-April. If you’re an early riser in the British Isles, let the waning crescent Moon be your guide to the naked-eye planets Jupiter, Saturn and Mars on 15 and 16 April 2020. Typical 7×50 or 10×50 binoculars will show these attractive conjunctions well, while the smallest of telescopes also reveal some of Jupiter’s bright Galilean moons.

See the old Moon join a dawn planetary parade, 18–19 March

11 March 2020 Ade Ashford

If you’re an early riser in the British Isles, let the waning crescent Moon be your guide to three naked-eye planets – Mars, Jupiter and Saturn – at dawn on 18 and 19 March 2020. This celestial conjunction occurs in the constellation of Sagittarius where you can see all four Solar System bodies within the span of a fist at arm’s length. Look for attractive binocular conjunctions too.

Juno peers into the depths of a titanic jovian storm system

12 November 2019 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured a jaw-dropping down-the-throat view of a huge storm swirling in Jupiter’s turbulent atmosphere earlier this month, a 2,000-kilometre-wide cyclonic system in the giant planet’s northern hemisphere.

Record rocket firing avoids mission-ending eclipse for Juno

2 October 2019 Astronomy Now

A record 10.5-hour thruster firing nudged the solar-powered Juno spacecraft’s orbit just enough to avoid a mission-ending eclipse.

See the young Moon meet the gas giants at dusk, 3–5 October

1 October 2019 Ade Ashford

Skywatchers in Western Europe and the UK should look low to the south-southwest at nautical dusk on 3 and 5 October 2019 to view the waxing Moon pass close to Jupiter and Saturn, the Solar System’s largest gas giant planets. Observers at northern temperate latitudes should make the most of any opportunities to view these planets before they are lost in twilight.

Junocam captures stunning view of Io’s shadow during Jovian eclipse

18 September 2019 Astronomy Now

From its perch in orbit around Jupiter, NASA’s Juno spacecraft routinely provides stunning views of the giant planet’s turbulent atmosphere and the Great Red Spot. But a jaw-dropping close-range look at Io’s shadow during an eclipse is yet another show stopper.