The mysterious workings of Jupiter’s intense magnetic field are coming to light, thanks to a tiny jet buried deep in the gas giant’s atmosphere. Every four years, this jet appears to fluctuate like a wave. While it’s not yet clear what drives this atmospheric jet, new findings reveal some clues about the invisible, complex workings […]
On Monday (March 4), scientists announced they’ve managed to measure how much molecular oxygen — the type of oxygen we breathe on Earth — likely exists around Jupiter’s moon Europa. Although researchers have made estimates of the icy moon’s oxygen content in the past, the team says this is the first time we’ve made a […]
Europa, one of Jupiter’s 95 moons, generates 1,000 tons of oxygen every 24 hours, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory said Monday. It’s enough oxygen to keep a million humans breathing each day, but it’s substantially less than scientists previously believed existed, researchers said. The amount of oxygen could impact the moon’s underground ocean, which is thought […]
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — New research suggests there’s less oxygen on the icy surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa than thought — and that could affect what if any life might be lurking in the moon’s underground ocean. Even with little or no oxygen, microbes might still be bustling around in the ocean believed to […]
KNARESBOROUGH, UK — It’s a cold afternoon in the charming village of Knaresborough in Yorkshire, England. Some are out braving the weather, but not me. I’m sitting in a cozy studio, studying the bewildering array of curios that adorns almost every inch of wall and shelf space. Knaresborough, famed for its 12th-century hilltop castle ruins, […]
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has made a second flyby of Jupiter’s moon Io, capturing the solar system’s most volcanic body in stunning detail. The spacecraft also allowed operators to glimpse a side of Io not seen in 35 years. The images of Io were taken last week, made possible by the Feb. 3 flyby that saw […]
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has now paid Jupiter’s moon Io its second close-up visit in less than two Earth months. To mark the rendezvous, NASA and the Southwest Research Institute released a new batch of images showing the infamously infernal moon in a state of seemingly uncharacteristic calm. Scientists also released a video showing Juno’s gradual […]
NASA’s Juno spacecraft made a close flyby of Jupiter’s intriguing moon Europa in 2022, revealing potential hints of present day surface activity. The spacecraft’s Stellar Reference Unit (SRU), which is a star camera designed to assist Juno’s onboard attitude determination, was used to image Europa’s surface with high resolution while being lit up by Jupiter-shine, […]
An instrument designed to study exoplanets has turned its focus to our own cosmic neighborhood to measure Jupiter’s wind speeds. Using the ESPRESSO spectrograph on the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) in northern Chile, researchers analyzed changes in sunlight reflected by the clouds in the atmosphere of Jupiter. By measuring the shift […]
During its 57th flyby of Jupiter, NASA’s Juno spacecraft came closer to the planet’s moon Io than any other mission has in the last two decades. Passing within around 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) of Io, the most volcanic body in the solar system, on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, Juno was able to capture stunningly detailed […]
NASA’s Juno mission will come closer to Jupiter’s moon Io than any spacecraft has in around 20 years on Saturday (Dec. 30). The flyby will bring Juno to around 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) of Io, the most volcanic body in the solar system. This will allow the spacecraft to take a detailed look at Io […]