The NASA-launched Juno spacecraft reached a new milestone in its investigation of the Jovian system.
The solar-powered spacecraft will pass the surface of Jupiter’s moon Io at a distance of up to 35,500 kilometers during its closest approach.
Juno Extended Mission
In the third year of its extended mission to study Jupiter’s innards and explore the ring system where some of the gas giant’s inner moons reside, Juno has traveled more than 800 million kilometers around the gas giant and its three largest moons.
The spacecraft has already made 50 flybys of Jupiter and has had up-close experiences with three of the four Galilean moons, including the scorching Io and the frozen Europa.
Jupiter’s moon is the most volcanic celestial body not just in the solar system, but also in the entire universe.
Juno’s Mission to Uncover the Secrets of Jupiter
The moon is constantly at odds with Jupiter and its moon.
According to scientists, not only is the largest planet in the solar system always gravitationally tugging on it but so are its Galilean siblings – Europa and the largest moon in the solar system, Ganymede.
As a result of the moon being constantly stretched and compressed, lava is produced and observed spewing from several of its volcanoes.
It is slightly bigger than the moon of Earth.
Thanks to the data gathered during the Juno flyby, which will help advance our grasp of planetary formation and the dynamics of volcanic activity.
This mission represents yet another important development in our solar system investigation and moves us one step closer to discovering the mysteries of Jupiter’s numerous moons.
Scientists and space fans alike eagerly anticipate the amazing discoveries that lie ahead as Juno gets ready for its flyby mission to Io.
The information gathered by Juno will open the door for additional missions, stimulate innovative scientific hypotheses, and give us important knowledge about the intricate processes at work in our own universe.
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