Physics

Jupiter Unveiled: Stunning New Images from NASA’s Probe Showcase the Majestic Giant Like Never Before

Well behind the orbit of Mars, at least 591 million kilometers from Earth, lies a giant: Jupiter. Eleven times the diameter of the Earth, 318 times its mass and having 95 moons, the gas giant, fifth planet from the Sun, named in reference to the king of the Roman gods has no equal in the Solar System. Raising several questions, particularly with regard to its Great Red Spot, but also concerning its moons, the planet has been flown over since 2016 by NASA's Juno probe.

Recently, during its 66th flyby of the planet, on October 23, 2024, the spacecraft gave us incredible new photos of Jupiter, as well as one of its moons: Almathea.

Jupiter reveals itself in a new light

If you were asked, using felt-tip pens or colored pencils, to represent Jupiter, you would surely make it round, large, with white, yellow and red bands and a circle to represent the largest storm in the System solar.

Like this:

Ultra-realistic 3D Jupiter and stars. Jupiter from space.

photo credit: Think_About_Life – SHUTTERSTOCK

However, looking at the new photos captured by Juno in October 2024, you should add a few colors to your palette. Look instead:

photo credit: NASA / JPL / SwRI / MSSS / Gerald Eichstädt / Thomas Thomopoulos © CC BY

photo credit: NASA / JPL / SwRI / MSSS / Gerald Eichstädt / Thomas Thomopoulos ©CC BY

Jupiter

” width=”480″ height=”269″>

photo credit: NASA / JPL / SwRI / MSSS / Gerald Eichstädt / Thomas Thomopoulos © CC BY

photo credit: NASA / SwRI / MSSS

These photos, posted on the Juno mission website, are not the original photos captured by the Juno probe. They have, in fact, been processed in such a way as to bring out the colors of the planet by citizen scientists.

Almathea, a small Jovian moon also captured

The moons of Jupiter are among the best-known stars in the Solar System. You have surely heard of Io, Callisto, Europa or Ganymede. But unless you are a Jovian satellite enthusiast, it is not certain that you know Almathea.

However, behind the four very well-known and larger ones, this moon of Jupiter, named in reference to a naiad who would have breastfed the king of the gods, is one of the largest known satellites on the planet with Thebe, Metis and Adrastea.

Orbiting 181,400 kilometers from Jupiter, Amalthea is a very small moon with a radius of only 84 kilometers, or 168 kilometers. Which is ridiculously small compared to its mother planet or even our own natural satellite whose radius is 1737.4 kilometers.

Captured in image by the Juno probe on October 23, 2024, this moon was discovered in 1892.

photo credit: NASA / JPL / SwRI / MSSS / Gerald Eichstädt

Life next to the gas giant?

Although Jupiter is a gas planet, which unlike terrestrial planets, does not have a surface, its moons do have one. One of them: Europe is even a major point of interest for scientists and perhaps even for Humanity.

Indeed, on October 14, 2024, the space probe Europa Clipper set off from Earth towards the Jovian moon to find out whether or not it could potentially gather the conditions necessary for the establishment of life. The probe will therefore set out to probe Jupiter's moon with the idea of knowing whether the ocean of liquid water located under the frozen surface could even shelter forms of life.

Having left barely a month ago, the space probe is currently on its way to the gas giant. According to NASA's forecast schedule, it should begin its scientific mission in 2031.

Source : Space

Christopher

With an unwavering passion for local news, Christopher leads our editorial team with integrity and dedication. With over 20 years’ experience, he is the backbone of Wouldsayso, ensuring that we stay true to our mission to inform.

More news

Berlin’s Unsold Christmas Trees Repurposed to Nourish Zoo Elephants

Even after the holidays, the Christmas spirit continues to be felt at Berlin Zoo. To the delight of the park animals, it was time ...

Concerned About Authoritarian Trends, Researchers Are Leaving OpenAI in Droves

When technologies advance at full speed, transparency becomes just as essential as innovation. In the field of artificial intelligence, it is sometimes the researchers ...

Resurrected from the Depths: The French Submarine Le Tonnant, Lost in 1942, Unearths a Forgotten Chapter of WWII off Spain’s Coast

For more than eight decades, Le Tonnant existed only in military reports and family memories. Scuttled in the chaos of the Second World War, ...