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NASA's Juno mission is exploring Jupiter from orbit, beaming back amazing photos, atmospheric data and other observations about the largest planet in our solar system. The Juno probe launched Aug. 5, 2011 and arrived in orbit around Jupiter on July 4, 2016. It is the farthest space probe ever to be powered by solar arrays. The $1.1 billion mission is expected to run through July 2021, but the science of Jupiter it returns will last a lifetime. Learn more about Juno's Jupiter discoveries here.

Related Topics: NASA, Jupiter

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Brazilian observer José Luis Pereira captured this shot of an impactor (bright flash at center-left) hitting Jupiter on Sept. 13, 2021.

Jupiter just got smacked by a space rock and an amateur astronomer caught it on camera

By Mike Wall

The giant planet gets pummeled on a fairly regular basis.

Juno spacecraft over Jupiter's great red spot. Jupiter is a gas giant, but could a spacecraft pass through a gas planet?

Could a spaceship fly through a gas giant like Jupiter?

By JoAnna Wendel

These planets are mostly made of gas, but a spaceship would have a rough time trying to get through a giant planet like Jupiter or Saturn.

september 2021 Night sky Young Moon between Venus and Vesta

The brightest planets in September's night sky: How to see them (and when)

By Joe Rao

Here's how to see planets visible in September's night sky.

This sky map shows the view from New York City of the moon, Jupiter and Saturn on Saturday (Aug. 21) at 10 p.m. local time.

See Jupiter and the moon make a close approach in tonight's sky

By Joe Rao

Step outside around 45 minutes after sunset on Saturday evening (Aug. 21) and in a single glance you'll be able to partake in a gathering of the moon and the biggest planet of our solar system.

Jupiter as seen by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope on April 3, 2017, four days before the planet arrived at opposition.

Jupiter is at its biggest and brightest this week

By Elizabeth Howell

The solar system's largest planet reaches opposition today (Aug. 19).

An infrared view of Ganymede.

Jupiter's huge moon Ganymede stuns in new infrared image from NASA's Juno probe

By Chelsea Gohd

Scientists are using infrared to better explore Jupiter's moon Ganymede, the largest moon in our solar system.

Scientists think that auroras could be behind mysterious heating on Jupiter.

Jupiter 'energy crisis' caused by auroras, scientists find in new study

By Elizabeth Howell

Jupiter's mysterious "energy crisis" that has puzzled astronomers for 50 years could be caused by auroras, new observations suggest.

An artist's depiction fo the Juno spacecraft observing Ganymede during the flyby on June 7, 2021. Juno launched to space ten years ago on Aug. 5 2011.

Happy birthday, Juno! NASA's Jupiter probe launched 10 years ago today

By Chelsea Gohd

NASA's Jupiter-exploring space probe Juno celebrates 10 years in space today (Aug. 5).

The Jupiter moon Ganymede, the largest satellite in the solar system, as seen by NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft on July 7, 1979, from a distance of 745,000 miles (1.2 million kilometers).

Water vapor detected on huge Jupiter moon Ganymede for 1st time

By Charles Q. Choi

In the wisp-thin sky of Jupiter's moon Ganymede, the largest satellite in the solar system, astronomers have for the first time detected evidence of water vapor, a new study finds.

NASA has picked SpaceX's heavy-lift Falcon Heavy rocket to launch the Europa Clipper mission to Jupiter's icy moon.

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch NASA's Europa Clipper mission to icy Jupiter moon

By Mike Wall

NASA has picked SpaceX's heavy-lift Falcon Heavy rocket to launch the Europa Clipper mission to Jupiter's icy moon.

A 180-mile-high plume of the volcano near Io's north pole.

Jupiter's volcanic moon Io is emitting strange radio waves and NASA's Juno probe is listening

By Kasandra Brabaw

NASA's Juno spacecraft is "listening" in on radio emissions from Jupiter's volcanic moon Io, allowing researchers to discover what triggers the strange radio waves.

In 1974, NASA's Pioneer 11 spacecraft viewed Jupiter from above its north pole.

Amateur astronomer discovers a tiny moon around Jupiter

By Doris Elin Urrutia

An amateur astronomer has discovered a previously unknown moon around Jupiter after poring over old telescope images, a major first.

A screenshot from a new video showing the June 2021 flybys of Jupiter and its largest moon, Ganymede, by NASA's Juno probe. This image shows Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system.

Cruise by Jupiter and its giant moon Ganymede in this gorgeous Juno flyby video

By Mike Wall

A dazzling new animation puts you aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft during its epic flybys last month of Jupiter and the huge moon Ganymede.

Jupiter's ocean moon Europa, as seen by NASA's Galileo probe.

A lander on Jupiter's icy moon Europa may have to dig at least 1 foot down to find signs of life

By Mike Wall

Robots may have to dig relatively deep on Jupiter's ocean moon Europa to have a shot of finding signs of alien life, a new study suggests.

Overlaid images of Jupiter's pole from NASA's satellite Juno and NASA's Chandra X-ray telescope. Left shows a projection of Jupiter's Northern X-ray aurora (purple) overlaid on a visible Junocam image of the North Pole. Right shows the Southern counterpart.

Mystery of Jupiter's powerful X-ray auroras finally solved

By Charles Q. Choi

Mysterious flares of X-rays from Jupiter's auroras suggest that the giant planet's "northern lights" may possess unexpected similarities with those of Earth, a new study finds.

False-color image of Hyperion captured during Cassini's flyby on September 26 2005.

The 10 weirdest moons in the solar system

By Giles Sparrow, All About Space magazine

Some of the most fascinating worlds in our cosmic neighborhood are not planets, but the moons that orbit around them.

A volcanic eruption on Jupiter's moon Io.

NASA has just rejected missions to moons of Jupiter and Neptune. Here's what we would have found out.

By Ashley Spindler

It's been 30 years since NASA last visited Venus, with the Magellan orbiter in 1990.

This image of the huge Jupiter moon Ganymede was obtained by the JunoCam imager during the Juno spacecraft's flyby of the icy moon on June 7, 2021.

Jupiter's Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system, looks amazing in these 1st photos from NASA's epic Juno flyby

By Mike Wall

The photos from a historic flyby of Ganymede, the solar system's largest moon, are starting to roll in.

An artist's depiction fo the Juno spacecraft observing Ganymede during the flyby on June 7, 2021.

Hello, Ganymede! NASA's Juno makes closest visit to Jupiter's largest moon since 2000.

By Elizabeth Howell

A NASA spacecraft made the closest flyby of Jupiter's largest moon in 21 years on Monday (June 7).

Maps of Jupiter's largest moon Ganymede based on Voyager and Galileo data.

NASA's Juno to make the closest visit to Jupiter's biggest moon Ganymede in 20 years

By Meghan Bartels

The biggest moon in the solar system is about to get much bigger for Juno.