Jupiter – Page 7 – Astronomy Now

More evidence for water vapour jetting from icy Europa

16 May 2018 Astronomy Now

Data collected by the Galileo spacecraft during a 1997 flyby of Jupiter’s moon Europa indicate the probe likely flew through a plume of water vapor, the latest evidence the icy moon likely harbours a vast sub-surface ocean beneath its frozen crust.

Jupiter’s 9 May opposition and a month of Jovian events visible from the UK

1 May 2018 Ade Ashford

With the opposition of Jupiter occurring on 9 May, now is the time to ensure that your telescope is clean and collimated (aligned) to deliver the sharpest images of the solar system’s largest planet at its best. We tell you when and how to view Jupiter’s Great Red Spot and a wealth of Galilean moon phenomena throughout May 2018.

See the Moon get close to prime-time Jupiter on 30 April

27 April 2018 Ade Ashford

Observers in Western Europe looking at the rising full Moon low in the southeast on the night of Monday, 30 April will also see conspicuous planet Jupiter close by, the pair fitting comfortably within the field of view of typical binoculars. Jupiter is close to opposition (9 May) and we show you how to identify its four main moons.

Juno peers beneath Jupiter’s cloud tops, revealing wonders

11 April 2018 William Harwood

Using infrared data from NASA’s Juno spacecraft, scientists have assembled a 3D map of Jupiter’s north polar region, showing details of a huge central cyclone and eight surrounding storms. Juno also is shedding light on Jupiter’s powerful magnetic field.

Jupiter’s red spot might be shrinking, but it’s still great!

10 April 2018 William Harwood

The Juno probe’s public-outreach camera routinely captures stunning views of Jupiter cloudtops and storms, including the Great Red Spot, seen here in an image processed by graphic artist Seán Doran. The GRS has been shrinking for years, but it remains easily the largest storm in the solar system and one still worthy of its name.

See the Red Planet, Saturn and Moon get close in the dawn sky

26 March 2018 Ade Ashford

Early risers will already be aware that there’s currently a lot of planetary activity in the morning sky, but at dawn in Western Europe on Monday, 2 April, Mars and Saturn will be just 1¼ degrees apart and seen in the same field of view of telescopes at 30x magnification. The waning Moon is close by on the mornings of 7 & 8 April too.

A big storm, by definition, on mighty Jupiter

24 March 2018 Astronomy Now

Citizen scientists process a stunning image of a giant storm in Jupiter’s northern hemisphere taken by NASA’s Juno spacecraft during its 11th close flyby of the giant planet. Bright cloud tops look similar to storm clouds on Earth, although the scale is vastly larger. Juno is giving planetary scientists a unique view of Jupiter from the spacecraft’s polar orbit.

Get ready for multiple shadow transits of Jupiter’s Galilean moons

23 March 2018 Ade Ashford

Jupiter, the solar system’s largest planet, is now visible low in the southeast three hours after darkness falls in the UK. Now’s the time to dust off your telescope, check its optical alignment and hone your Jovian observing skills – particularly since a series of double shadow transits of the planet’s large Galilean moons starts on 24 March 2018.

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot extending upward as it shrinks

14 March 2018 Astronomy Now

A new study indicates Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is drifting westward faster than before and extending upward, but analysis of historical data confirms it is shrinking overall and now is just slightly larger than Earth.

New Juno findings amaze scientists studying Jupiter

7 March 2018 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Juno spacecraft has found Jupiter’s cloud belts and zones extend down some 3,000 kilometres and contain about 1 percent of the planet’s mass. Below that, the world seems to rotate as a nearly rigid body.