NASA's five-year mission to Jupiter proceeds

Stephen Withers
Wednesday, 26 November 2008 04:54

Science - Space

On arrival, Juno will enter a elliptical orbit that will take it to some 5000 kilometres (around 3000 miles) above the Jovian atmosphere. The craft will complete 32 orbits in around one year.

Various instruments aboard the spacecraft will be able to 'see' below the clouds to investigate the planet's structure, examine its magnetic field, and explore the auroral lights (the equivalent of Earth's northern and southern lights).

"Juno's extraordinarily accurate determination of the gravity and magnetic fields of Jupiter will enable us to understand what is going on deep down in the planet," said Professor Dave Stevenson, co-investigator at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

"These and other measurements will inform us about how Jupiter's constituents are distributed, how Jupiter formed and how it evolved, which is a central part of our growing understanding of the nature of our solar system," he added.

Why 'Juno'? The name comes from mythology.

Jupiter's wife Juno peered through Jupiter's veil of clouds to watch over her husband's mischief," said Professor Toby Owen, co-investigator at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.

"Our Juno looks through Jupiter's clouds to see what the planet is up to, not seeking signs of misbehavior, but searching for whispers of water, the ultimate essence of life."