5 Mysteries of Jupiter That Juno Might Solve
The Juno spacecraft arrives at Jupiter on July 4, 2016, after a journey of nearly five years and 2.7 billion km (1.7 billion miles). It will be the first space probe to orbit Jupiter since Galileo plunged into that planetās atmosphere in 2003.
How Did Jupiter Form?
Jupiter is the most-massive planet in the solar system, and because it is so large, it retained all of the gas it was born with. Nothing could escape its gravitation by seeping into space, like the hydrogen in Earthās atmosphere. By studying the composition of Jupiter, Juno will be able to identify the gas that the planet formed with 4.5 billion years ago and thus maybe learn how Jupiter came to be.
What Is the Great Red Spot Doing?
The Great Red Spot is a storm larger than Earth (about 16,500 km [10,250 miles] wide) that has been swirling since at least the 1830s and maybe even since the mid-17th century. Although itās been observed for centuries, almost nothing is known about it. What is powering it? Why has it lasted for hundreds of years? Juno will get a very close view of the spot, from just 4,600 km (3,000 miles) away, which may clear up its mysteries.
Does Jupiter Have a Core?
Not much is known about the core of Jupiter, or even if it really has one at all. Scientists have speculated that Jupiterās core is likely hydrogen that has been squeezed by the enormous weight of the atmosphere above it into a metallic form. As the probeās velocity changes as it orbits the planet, the frequency of radio waves that Juno transmits to Earth will change. From these changes, Juno will measure Jupiterās gravitational field and its internal structure precisely.
How Is Jupiterās Magnetic Field Generated?
Jupiter has the largest magnetosphere of any planet. The magnetic field lines stretch out over a space 75 times bigger than the planet itself. Juno is teeming with instruments to study the charged particles trapped in Jupiterās magnetic field. These measurementsāwhen combined with the study of Jupiterās deep internal structure, where the magnetic field is generatedāwill give a much better understanding of this powerful magnetosphere.
What Do Jupiterās Poles Look Like?
Juno will be in a polar orbit around Jupiter in order to avoid encounters with the planetās strong radiation belts, which could damage the spacecraft. Thus, Juno will be the first probe to get a close-up view of Jupiterās poles. The polar regions of Jupiter are very interesting because of Jupiterās powerful magnetosphere, which generates strong aurora. The auroral oval even has spots from which currents of plasma flow from Jupiterās moons to the poles of the planet.