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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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 published

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 published

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 published

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 published

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 published

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 published

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 published

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 last updated

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 last updated

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 last updated

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 published

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 published

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

Jupiter's icy moon Europa, as imaged by NASA's Galileo spacecraft.

Jupiter's ocean moon Europa may have deep-sea volcanoes

By Mike Wall last updated

The Jupiter moon Europa may be an even more promising abode for life than scientists had thought.

Clyde's Spot on Jupiter, as imaged by NASA's Juno spacecraft in April, 2021.

'Clyde's Spot' on Jupiter has a wild new look in NASA photo

By Chelsea Gohd published

"Clyde's Spot," a feature discovered on Jupiter in 2020, has a strange new look, NASA's Juno spacecraft reveals.

Jupiter in visible, ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths.

Stunning new images of Jupiter reveal atmosphere details in different light (video)

By Tereza Pultarova published

A comparison of images captured in different wavelengths by the Hubble Space Telescope and a ground-based observatory in Hawaii helps shed light on how Jupiter's massive storms formed.

Data from NASA's Juno spacecraft revealed faint aurora features likely triggered by charged particles coming from the edge of Jupiter's massive magnetosphere.

NASA's Juno spacecraft detects strange new auroras on Jupiter

By Samantha Mathewson published

NASA's Juno spacecraft has detected new auroral emissions on Jupiter which appear to ripple over the planet's poles.

Evolution of a dawn storm in Jupiter’s polar auroras. This animation was created from observations made by Juno’s UVS (Ultraviolet Spectrograph) instrument.

Glowing 'dawn storm' auroras that blaze in Jupiter's morning skies are born in darkness

By Mindy Weisberger published

New images of Jupiter's polar auroras, captured by the Juno spacecraft, revealed the full cycle of intense and unusual polar light displays.

This image of Jupiter’s famous Great Red Spot was created by citizen scientist Kevin Gill, using data gathered by the JunoCam instrument aboard NASA’s Juno Jupiter orbiter on June 2, 2020. The whitish storm beneath and to the right of the Great Red Spot is a newfound maelstrom dubbed “Clyde’s Spot.”

Jupiter's Great Red Spot may survive by gobbling up smaller storms

By Mike Wall last updated

Jupiter's Great Red Spot recently feasted on smaller storms that wandered into its neighborhood, possibly even gaining sustenance from these meals, a new study suggests.

NASA's Europa Clipper mission, which will study the Jupiter ocean moon Europa up close, is scheduled to launch in October 2024.

NASA's Europa Clipper probe will now launch on a private rocket in October 2024

By Mike Wall published

NASA's upcoming mission to the Jupiter ocean moon Europa is out of rocket limbo, and it now has a launch window.

On the left, an image taken by the Gemini North Telescope shows a hotspot in the context of Jupiter's atmosphere; the magnification on the right shows a view from the Juno spacecraft orbiting the planet. Both images were taken on Sept. 16, 2020.

Warm up with this cozy image of a hot spot on Jupiter

By Elizabeth Howell published

A new composite image of Jupiter's atmosphere shows a hot spot glowing brightly in infrared wavelengths.