Wed Oct 02 18:06:11 UTC 2024: ## Juno’s Final Year at Jupiter: Stunning Images Capture New Volcano on Io and Stunning Views of the Giant Planet
NASA’s Juno spacecraft, orbiting Jupiter since 2016, has captured breathtaking images of the gas giant during its 65th perijove, a close flyby marking the beginning of its final year in operation.
Juno, designed to withstand Jupiter’s intense radiation belts, has provided groundbreaking scientific data and stunning visuals of the planet’s swirling clouds. Its JunoCam camera, operated by citizen scientists, captured nine plumes from active volcanoes on Jupiter’s moon Io, revealing new lava flows and deposits. Notably, images from Juno’s 58th perijove in February 2023 revealed a new volcano on Io, the most geologically active body in the solar system. This marked the first close-up view of Io’s volcanic activity since NASA’s Galileo mission in 1997.
Juno’s other instruments, including a magnetometer, gravity science system, and microwave radiometer, have made significant discoveries, including evidence of abundant water near Jupiter’s equator, lightning within its clouds, and the cause of Jupiter’s x-ray aurorae.
Juno’s mission is set to conclude with its 76th and final perijove on September 17, 2025. Before then, the spacecraft will continue to provide us with captivating views of Jupiter and its moons, as well as crucial scientific data that will deepen our understanding of this giant planet.
First Piper 