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Jupiter

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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As November begins, Mercury will be in the western evening sky and swinging sunward towards inferior conjunction on November 11, when the speedy planet will transit the sun. The transit will be visible in whole or in part from westernmost Russia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, South America, North America (except for the extreme north), most of the Pacific Ocean, and New Zealand. After mid-month, Mercury will return to view with an excellent morning apparition for Northern Hemisphere observers, but a poor one for the Southern Hemisphere. The planet will reach peak visibility at greatest western elongation on November 28. Viewed in a telescope during mornings in November, Mercury's disk will diminish in apparent size and wax in illuminated phase from a thin crescent to a 68% full. Over the same period, the planet will brighten. The old crescent moon will pass north of Mercury on November 24-25.

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

By Joe Rao

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

An image of then-asteroid 2019 LD2 taken from a Las Cumbres Observatory telescope at Cerro Tololo in Chile on June 11, 2019.

A first-of-its-kind asteroid thrilled astronomers. But it was just a comet fraud.

By Meghan Bartels

For a week, it was a truly stunning crumb of the solar system — until scientists realized it was just a dirty hunk of ice with an identity crisis.

This sky map shows Jupiter and Saturn on the morning of their close approach on May 18, 2020, as seen from New York City at 2:30 a.m. local time.

See Jupiter and Saturn snuggle up in the predawn sky this week

By Elizabeth Howell

The two giant planets of the solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, will snuggle up in the predawn sky this week, offering spectacular views for night owls and early risers.

NASA's Juno spacecraft captured this stunning view of Jupiter on Feb. 17, 2020.

Get lost in Jupiter's haze thanks to new pictures from NASA spacecraft

By Meghan Bartels

For your weekend enjoyment, we present another installment of Jupiter's beautifully swirly atmosphere.

An artist's illustration of water plumes erupting from the icy ocean of Jupiter's moon Europa.

Scientists peer back in time to find new evidence for watery plumes on Europa

By Chelsea Gohd

Scientists looked back in time to offer new evidence suggesting that plumes of water vapor shoot out from Jupiter's moon Europa into space.

A full-disk view of Jupiter in infrared light, as seen by the Gemini Observatory on May 29, 2019.

Scientists get their best-ever look at Jupiter's atmosphere and storms

By Meghan Bartels

It's always dark and stormy on Jupiter — and now, scientists have gotten their most detailed view of the wild storms that swirl through the gas giant's atmosphere.

A region of Europa's surface dubbed Chaos Transition shows messy blocks on the left and long ridges on the right.

Chaos reigns in detailed new views of Jupiter's icy moon Europa

By Meghan Bartels

Scientists have gotten their best look to date at three chaotic patches on the icy surface of Jupiter's moon Europa thanks to decade-old images from a long-defunct spacecraft.

An artist's illustration of water plumes erupting from the icy ocean of Jupiter's moon Europa.

Weird mystery of watery plumes on Europa may hint at 'stealth particles'

By Nola Taylor Redd

Plumes from Jupiter’s moon Europa could provide insights about the interior of the moon, but their deposits remain hidden.

Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will all dance near the moon this week.

You can see the moon shine with Jupiter, Saturn and Mars before dawn this week. Here's how.

By Joe Rao

The predawn hours this week will sparkle as Jupiter, Saturn and Mars dance around the moon on consecutive mornings.

An artist's depiction of the JUICE spacecraft traveling through the Jupiter system.

Here's how Europe's JUICE spacecraft will look for alien oceans

By Meghan Bartels

One of the top priorities for scientists looking to find life beyond Earth is determining which icy worlds in the outer solar system hide massive global oceans under their frozen surfaces.

See Saturn, Mars and Jupiter line up in the southeast sky before dawn on Thursday (March 26).

See Jupiter, Mars and Saturn in Thursday's dawn sky

By Joe Rao

Early risers this month have been treated to an unusual celestial "pas de trois," as the three brightest superior planets have been changing positions relative to each other in the dawn twilight.

NASA's Juno spacecraft captured this view of Jupiter's southern hemisphere on Feb. 17, 2020.

This gorgeous picture of Jupiter from NASA is just what we need right now

By Elizabeth Howell

Even as Earth is in turmoil, NASA continues to share amazing pictures from across the solar system — allowing us to (virtually) travel far while staying in place.

This enhanced-color image of Jupiter's Great Red Spot was created by citizen scientist Jason Major using data from the JunoCam imager on NASA's Juno spacecraft.

Jupiter's Great Red Spot may be shrinking, but its thickness is steady

By Mike Wall

Jupiter's Great Red Spot isn't shrinking in every direction, a new study suggests.

In addition to puzzling science measurements, Juno is taking stunning photos in its tour of Jupiter.

Surprise! There's more water on Jupiter than anyone thought

By Elizabeth Howell

Jupiter appears to have more water than anyone expected.

Artist's concept of the solar system (not to scale).

NASA eyes Venus, bizarre moons of Jupiter and Neptune for low-cost space missions

By Mike Wall

Venus, Jupiter's supervolcanic moon Io and Neptune's big satellite Triton are in NASA's crosshairs.

An ALMA image of the young star HL Tau and the disk of gas and dust surrounding it. Rings in such protoplanetary disks indicate regions of pressure maxima, which could establish boundaries that help shape the developing planetary system.

Jupiter may not have caused our solar system's 'Great Divide' after all

By Mike Wall

One of our solar system's fundamental boundaries may have existed since the very beginning, a new study reports.

An up-close look at the "tiger stripes" on Saturn's moon Enceladus, which is thought to harbor a big ocean of liquid water beneath its icy surface.

If We Find Life on Europa or Enceladus, It Will Probably Be a '2nd Genesis'

By Mike Wall

If there are creatures swimming in the buried oceans of the outer solar system, they're probably not related to us, new research suggests.

A new, smaller cyclone can be seen at the lower right of this infrared image of Jupiter's south pole taken on Nov. 4, 2019, during the 23rd science pass of the planet by NASA's Juno spacecraft.

NASA Spacecraft Spies Huge New Storm on Jupiter After Death-Dodging Maneuver

By Mike Wall

NASA's Juno probe discovered a giant new storm swirling near Jupiter's south pole last month, a few weeks after pulling off a dramatic death-dodging maneuver.

See Venus, Jupiter and the crescent moon in the night sky this Thanksgiving. The trio will be above the southwest horizon in the evenings all week.

Thanksgiving Night Sky 2019: Venus, Jupiter and the Moon Gather for Skywatching Feast

By Joe Rao

This week, Venus and Jupiter are very low in the southwest during the chilly November dusk.

A series of images taken between May and June 2019 capture the reddish extension, or "flaking," observed on the east side of the Great Red Spot.

Jupiter's Great Red Spot Storm Isn't Dying Anytime Soon

By Samantha Mathewson

Despite the apparent shrinkage of clouds in Jupiter's Great Red Spot, the storm itself is still going strong, new research suggests.