How Juno Explores Jupiter and Its Moons
New data from the agency’s Jupiter orbiter shed light on the fierce winds and cyclones of the gas giant’s northern reaches, as well as volcanic activity on its fiery moon. NASA’s Juno mission has obtained new data by peering beneath Jupiter’s cloudy atmosphere and onto the surface of its fiery moon Io. The data not only helped develop a new model to better understand the fast-moving jet stream that sweeps across Jupiter’s cyclone-strewn north pole, but also revealed for the first time the temperature profile beneath Io’s surface, providing insight into the moon’s interior and volcanic activity.
What has been learned about Jupiter in recent years? Latest information and photos from probes
Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System and the fifth planet from the Sun. This gas giant has beautiful banded clouds, thin dust rings, the famous Great Red Spot, and dozens of moons. Jupiter is also the oldest planet in the Solar System, having formed 4.6 billion years ago. Its distance from the Sun is an average of 484 million miles (779 million km). Jupiter is 86,900 miles (139,900 km) wide, or 11 times wider than Earth. A year on Jupiter lasts 11.86 Earth years. Jupiter has the shortest day in the Solar System, lasting only 10 hours. Jupiter is the fourth brightest object in the Earth’s sky after the Sun, the Moon, and Venus. There are enough planets the size of Earth to fit inside Jupiter.