Jupiter is the most-massive planet in the solar system, and because it is so large, it retained all of the gas it was born with. Nothing could escape its gravitation by seeping into space, like the hydrogen in Earth’s atmosphere. By studying the composition of Jupiter, Juno will be able to identify the gas that the planet formed with 4.5 billion years ago and thus maybe learn how Jupiter came to be.
The Great Red Spot is a storm larger than Earth (about 16,500 km [10,250 miles] wide) that has been swirling since at least the 1830s and maybe even since the mid-17th century. Although it’s been observed for centuries, almost nothing is known about it. What is powering it? Why has it lasted for hundreds of years? Juno will get a very close view of the spot, from just 4,600 km (3,000 miles) away, which may clear up its mysteries.
Not much is known about the core of Jupiter, or even if it really has one at all. Scientists have speculated that Jupiter’s core is likely hydrogen that has been squeezed by the enormous weight of the atmosphere above it into a metallic form. As the probe’s velocity changes as it orbits the planet, the frequency of radio waves that Juno transmits to Earth will change. From these changes, Juno will measure Jupiter’s gravitational field and its internal structure precisely.
Jupiter has the largest magnetosphere of any planet. The magnetic field lines stretch out over a space 75 times bigger than the planet itself. Juno is teeming with instruments to study the charged particles trapped in Jupiter’s magnetic field. These measurements-when combined with the study of Jupiter’s deep internal structure, where the magnetic field is generated-will give a much better understanding of this powerful magnetosphere.
Juno will be in a polar orbit around Jupiter in order to avoid encounters with the planet’s strong radiation belts, which could damage the spacecraft. Thus, Juno will be the first probe to get a close-up view of Jupiter’s poles. The polar regions of Jupiter are very interesting because of Jupiter’s powerful magnetosphere, which generates strong aurora. The auroral oval even has spots from which currents of plasma flow from Jupiter’s moons to the poles of the planet.
#SolarSystem #Jupiter #Planets
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