Although easy to view from Earth, Jupiter remains one of the solar system’s biggest mysteries. But today we're only five years away from a much deeper understanding of the massive planet.

Artist's impression of Juno orbiting Jupiter

Launched on Aug 5, 2011, the Juno spacecraft will arrive at Jupiter in 2016 to study the giant planet from an elliptical, polar orbit. Juno will repeatedly dive between the planet and its intense belts of charged particle radiation, coming only 5,000 kilometers (about 3,000 miles) from the cloud tops at closest approach.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

This afternoon, NASA’s solar-powered envoy Juno successfully lifted off Cape Canaveral at 12:55 p.m. EDT. The craft will cover approximately 1.9 billion miles before it enters an elliptical, polar orbit around Jupiter in 2016. If all goes well, Juno will endure the gas giant’s radiation-rich environment for a year, and study its origins and evolution using nine science instruments.

“Jupiter is the Rosetta Stone of our solar system,” said Juno’s principal investigator, Scott Bolton (Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio). “Juno is going there, as our emissary — to interpret what Jupiter has to say.”

The mission is appropriately named after Juno, the sister and wife of the Roman god, Jupiter, who peered beneath clouds to expose his secret affair with the priestess Io. The craft carries figurines of Jupiter and Juno as a tribute. In addition, Juno also carries a plaque and a figurine in honor of the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilee, who discovered four of Jupiter’s moons in 1610.

Listen to an audio interview with Scott Bolton, the principal investigator of the mission.

Read more about the Juno Mission in Sky & Telescope’s September 2011 issue.

Comments


Image of Anthony Barreiro

Anthony Barreiro

August 8, 2011 at 12:16 pm

I'm happy to hear that the Juno craft carries tributes to the gods Jupiter and Juno, as well as the hero Galileo. I wish Juno continued success peering beneath the clouds to learn more about her husband's true nature.

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Image of Anthony Barreiro

Anthony Barreiro

August 8, 2011 at 12:16 pm

I'm happy to hear that the Juno craft carries tributes to the gods Jupiter and Juno, as well as the hero Galileo. I wish Juno continued success peering beneath the clouds to learn more about her husband's true nature.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Image of Francesco Sinibaldi

Francesco Sinibaldi

August 14, 2011 at 7:27 am

In a learned
memory you
can find the
atmosphere that
often appears
near a luminous
faith.

Francesco Sinibaldi

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