Anna Hartz
NASA’s Juno Sees More Than Ever on Jupiter and Its Explosive Moon
Space exploration doesn’t slow down. NASA’s Juno probe has been orbiting Jupiter since 2016, and it’s still sending back fresh data.
The spacecraft is giving scientists new insights into both Jupiter’s wild atmosphere and its volcanic moon, Io.
These findings help us understand how planets and moons behave far beyond Earth.
During its 53rd orbit in February 2023, Juno carried out a special experiment, writes WP. Scientists sent a radio signal from Earth to the spacecraft.
Juno sent it back after the signal passed through Jupiter’s thick atmosphere.
This helped researchers measure gas temperatures and densities at different layers of the planet’s skies.
Thanks to this method, scientists have now measured the temperature in Jupiter’s stratosphere near the north pole.
It is 11 degrees Celsius colder than nearby areas. The winds there blow at more than 160 kilometers per hour. That’s strong enough to shape the planet’s giant storms.
Researchers also studied Jupiter’s polar cyclones. These are massive storms spinning around the poles.
Data from Juno’s cameras and infrared instruments showed how these cyclones slowly drift toward the pole.
On Earth, a similar effect happens with hurricanes, but they usually lose strength before reaching the poles.
On Jupiter, though, the storms last longer and form large clusters that spin around together.
The Juno team also took a close look at Io, one of Jupiter’s largest moons. It’s the most volcanically active body in our solar system.
New images and temperature readings show that lava is still flowing beneath its surface.
About 10 percent of Io is covered in slowly cooling lava fields. That means eruptions happened not long ago and are still happening now.
One volcano on Io has been erupting since December 2022. The eruption is still going.
Juno is scheduled to fly past Io again on May 6. It will get closer than ever before.
Scientists are eager to see what more they can learn from this hot and violent world.