Juno mission

• Recently, in a captivating display of celestial beauty, NASA’s Juno mission has treated space enthusiasts to an extraordinary photo of Jupiter and its volcanic moon, Io.
• This breathtaking image was taken just hours before NASA’s Juno mission completed its 53rd close flyby of Jupiter on July 31, 2023.

ABOUT JUPITER

• It is the fifth and largest planet in our solar system.
• The size of Jupiter is more than twice as massive as all the other planets combined.
• The stripes and swirls of the Jupiter are cold, windy clouds of ammonia and water.
• These are floating in an atmosphere of hydrogen and helium.
• The planet also has several rings, but unlike the famous rings of Saturn, Jupiter’s rings are very faint and made of dust.

JUPITER MOONS

• Jupiter has more than 80 moons and 4 largest of these are- Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
• They were first discovered by the astronomer Galileo Galilei in 1610.
• The surface of Io is the most volcanically active in the solar system.
  • Io is marked by hundreds of regularly erupting volcanoes along with molten lava and sulfurous gases.

ABOUT JUNO MISSION

• It was launched by NASA in 2011 and entered a polar orbit of Jupiter on July 5, 2016, to begin a scientific investigation of the planet.
• Aim: To probe beneath Jupiter’s dense clouds and the origin and evolution of Jupiter, solar system, and giant planets in general across the cosmos.
• After completing its mission, Juno will be intentionally deorbited into Jupiter’s atmosphere.