Juno peeks behind Jupiter’s clouds
Named for the wife of the Roman god of the sky, the NASA spacecraft Juno arrived at Jupiter on July 4. Its mission is to study the planet's magnetic field, composition and interior structure and potentially reveal the basic recipe for solar systems like our own.
What makes Jupiter so hard to study?
Jupiter's magnetic field traps particles in intense radiation belts near the planet, creating a hazard for any visiting spacecraft.
How did Juno get to Jupiter?
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2
Oct. 2013
Jupiter’s
orbit
Earth flyby
maneuver gives
Juno the velocity
boost it needs to
coast to Jupiter
Earth’s
orbit
Sun
1
Aug. 2011
Juno launches and spends
next two years to set up
for the Earth flyby
3
July 2016
Juno arrives at Jupiter
Planets not drawn to scale
3
Oct. 2013
Earth flyby maneuver gives
Juno the velocity boost it
needs to coast to Jupiter
1
Aug. 2011
Sun
Jupiter’s
orbit
Earth’s
orbit
Juno launches and begins
journey to Jupiter
2
Juno spends two years in
deep-space maneuvers to
set up an Earth flyby
4
July 2016
Juno arrives at Jupiter
Planets not drawn to scale
Oct. 2013
3
Earth flyby maneuver gives
Juno the velocity boost it
needs to coast to Jupiter
1
Aug. 2011
Sun
Juno launches and begins
journey to Jupiter
Jupiter’s
orbit
Earth’s
orbit
2
Juno spends two years in
deep-space maneuvers to
set up an Earth flyby
July 2016
4
Juno arrives at Jupiter
Planets not drawn to scale
How will Juno orbit the planet?
Juno is the first spacecraft to study Jupiter's poles. It will approach the planet from the north and then fly south, coming within 2,600 miles of the surface. The satellite will pass over a different section with each orbit, allowing it to map the entire planet.
Why the long orbit?
Juno's elliptical orbit avoids much of the damage from the planet’s hazardous radiation belts.
Sources: Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Images provided by NASA.
Credits: Priya Krishnakumar, Kyle Kim and Joe Fox