NASA’s Juno mission – Astronomy Now

Don’t miss Jupiter’s ‘unravelling’ Great Red Spot

6 June 2019 Ade Ashford

The Great Red Spot (GRS) is the solar system’s largest known storm, an Earth-sized anticyclone that has raged in the atmosphere of Jupiter for at least two centuries. But recent observations from Earth and space suggest that this iconic Jovian feature is undergoing huge changes that could herald its demise.

Dramatic Jupiter

26 February 2019 Astronomy Now

Dramatic atmospheric features in Jupiter’s northern hemisphere are captured in this view from NASA’s Juno spacecraft.

A dolphin-shaped cloud formation found in Jupiter’s atmosphere

3 December 2018 Astronomy Now

Finding figures and other shapes in overhead clouds is a familiar pastime on Earth, but on Jupiter? An image from the Juno orbiter features a cloud formation that looks remarkably like a dolphin swimming through the giant planet’s turbulent atmosphere.

Juno orbiter captures another stunning view of Jupiter

14 November 2018 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Juno spacecraft recently completed its 16th close flyby of Jupiter, capturing more stunning views of the giant planet’s turbulent atmosphere with anticyclonic storms and bright white “pop-up” clouds.

A new volcano on Io? Juno data indicate ‘hot spot’ on active moon

14 July 2018 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Juno spacecraft now orbiting Juno has spotted what could be a new volcano on Io, the innermost Galilean moon, a tortured world featuring hundreds of volcanoes and lava flows powered by Jupiter’s crushing gravity

Today’s weather: stormy, with high winds and turbulence

18 June 2018 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Juno spacecraft continues to send back spectacular images of Jupiter, including this look at the giant planet’s northern temperate zone where ammonia ice clouds roam in chaos amid high-speed winds and deeper, warmer cloud structures.

Lightning at Jupiter is just like Earth’s. Except where it’s not

6 June 2018 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Juno spacecraft finds lightning bolts in Jupiter’s atmosphere are similar to discharges on Earth, but they only occur at high latitudes thanks to the giant planet’s distance from the sun

Citizen-scientists fine tune Juno shots of Jupiter

22 May 2018 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Juno spacecraft is helping scientists learn more about the giant planet’s interior structure and the dynamo that powers its magnetic field, but citizen scientists are keeping the public up to date with stunning images providing unique views of the planet’s mesmerising clouds.

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.

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.