Photo: NASA
It’s been 21 years since the last space mission, the Galileo mission, reached the Jovian system, including Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, and all its satellites, among which are its four largest moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. Since then, other missions that did not have as its main objective the study of Jupiter as Cassini-Huygens and New Horizons, have made close flybys, leaving in its wake some scientific measurements and photographs of the gas giant.
No But since this July 4, there is already a new ship flying over Jupiter. Is the spacecraft Juno, the second mission of the New Frontiers of NASA program, after the famous New Horizons that for about a year, we marveled at the first images of Pluto.
Juno was launched on August 5, 2011 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida (USA). Now, almost five years later, he reaches Jupiter compliance records as it becomes the mission that has made the longest journey working with solar panels (beating Rosetta) and will also become the closest spacecraft to orbit Jupiter, to only about 5,000 kilometers, proving, once again, the continuous improvement in the field of space engineering and planetary science.
His work will take place over the next two months, which held 37 orbits around Jupiter, until the end of its life in February 2018, when self-destruct hurtling the planet’s atmosphere.
Unveiling the gas giant
in Greek mythology and Roman, Jupiter hid his antics through a veil of clouds confeccionaba around. But Juno, queen of the gods and in turn sister and wife of Jupiter, was able to look through these clouds and reveal the true character of God.
Like its mythological counterpart, the ship Juno tries to know and decipher the hidden mysteries of this immense planet and discern its secrets, looking through his mantle of clouds. In particular, the mission seeks to expand knowledge about its atmosphere and interior, which could help us better understand their training, the complexity of the gaseous planets and the solar system itself.
The probe NASA has nine scientific instruments that will be responsible for generating the measurements and observations needed to meet the scientific objectives of the mission on board. Among its goals are: to find out if the core is solid state, conducting a map of Jupiter’s magnetic field, measure the amount of ammonia and water harboring the atmosphere in its deeper layers, and observe the auroras on the planet.
How is inside
we all recognize when we see Jupiter; the large gaseous planet and the Great Red Spot spinning wildly into a colorful striping of atmospheric gases. But, despite knowing that we almost by heart its outer face, researchers do not know how it is inside.
What we know is that, thanks to its great mass, and unlike Earth, with a mass 317 sometimes Menor-, managed to maintain its original helium and hydrogen composition, and thus a gaseous atmosphere which prevents the vision of deeper Jupiter.
we are Scientifically raise many questions that Juno wants to answer: how is your core ?, what is its density ?, what size is and what it’s made exactly? All these questions remain to be resolved over the next year, thanks to a mapping of the gravitational and magnetic fields conducted the probe with the instruments on board.
It is believed that hydrogen Jupiter -the which is deeper and under great pressure-ejected electrons, generating a fluid that conducts electricity like a metal, creating, in turn, a huge magnetic field inside the planet, which is further reinforced by the rapid rotation the planet. However, no one knows where it could reach this layer of liquid hydrogen.
Measure and map the magnetic field, along with the gravitational field will allow to reveal the inner structure of the planet and thus measure the mass of the nucleus . These responses will mean a breakthrough in the understanding and formation of the gaseous planets.
The auroras on Jupiter are no mystery, in fact, were first discovered by the Voyager probe 1 in 1979. Even amateur astronomers see these aurorae each time point their telescopes the giant planet. The mystery is in its formation.
The auroras on Earth are generated when charged particles from the Sun (or what is the same, solar wind) interact with its atmosphere and magnetic field. But Jupiter may have enough momentum to produce their own auroras, and even has charged particles from one of its largest moons, Io. Understand how they travel these particles Io Jupiter and interaction with the magnetosphere is part of the study to be prepared by Juno in the coming months.
Another objective will be to investigate the water, a significant molecule resident in many of the bodies of the solar system. As in other bodies, water ice could reach Jupiter by comets or asteroids and be absorbed later, which would help to form heavier than hydrogen elements.
Knowledge of abundance of this water and its interaction with the original cloud of dust and gas that led to the formation of Jupiter can help us understand the formation of these planets and the origin of water on Earth.
the probe, unlike its predecessor Galileo, it will focus solely on studying Jupiter, its moons being the forgotten ones in this mission. Interest in these satellites lies in both its geological diversity and the presence of internal oceans that increase the possibility of supporting life beyond our planet.
But while Juno can not visit the companions of Jupiter, major space agencies continue taking them into the spotlight. Between 2020 and 2030 the European Space Agency (ESA) plans the JUICE mission, designed to study Jupiter and its moons Ganymede, Callisto and Europa through several overflights by each of these bodies. In turn NASA, just bet on Europe, developing a mission priority in the study of this satellite, and looking for the much coveted extraterrestrial life.
While we wait for the development of these new missions, Juno will help us understand the secrets of Jupiter, our great neighbor planetario.í.
Original article here.
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