Juno Shows Jupiter Like Never Before

                NASA spacecraft has captured the best view of Jupiter yet, revealing turbulent storms in the North Pole. Jupiter’s northern polar region is stormier than expected and appears bluer than the rest of the plane. NASA on 2 September released a batch of close-up pictures taken by the Juno spacecraft when it flew within 2,500 miles of Jupiter’s dense cloud tops. During the rendezvous that took Juno from pole to pole, the solar powered spacecraft turned on its camera and instruments to collect data. The detailed pictures look “like nothing we have seen or imagined before”. Juno also sent back views of Jupiter’s southern lights considered the most powerful in the solar system. The flyby was the first of three dozen planned close passes during the mission.

Unlike Earth and Mars, Jupiter is a gas giant that is likely to have formed first, shortly after the Sun. studying the big planer holds clues to understanding how Earth and the rest of the planets formed. After a five year journey, Juno slipped into orbit around Jupiter in July to map its poles, atmosphere and interior. It’s the first spacecraft to carry a titanium vault designed to shield its computer and electronics from intense radiation. Juno is the second mission to orbit Jupiter. When it completes its job in 2018, it will crash into Jupiter’s atmosphere and disintegrate. NASA planned the finale so that Juno won’t accidentally smack into Jupiter’s moon, particularly the icy moon Europa, a target of future exploration.