On July 4 , we obtain the exciting newsworthiness that NASA ’s Juno spacecraft had successfullyentered orbitaround Jupiter . And now , one week on , the ballistic capsule has returned its first image from its initial 53.5 - day area .
This persona , taken on July 10 , proves that the photographic camera has survived the qualifying through Jupiter ’s acute radiation , meaning it can originate taking arresting high - resolution shots in the next few weeks . The television camera ( called JunoCam ) itself has no scientific role , but will be used to rent the world with images of the flatulence giant . you could evenvote onlinefor what it takes pictures of .
" JunoCam will keep on to take images as we go around in this first orbit , " said Candy Hansen , Juno co - investigator from the Planetary Science Institute , Tucson , Arizona , in astatement . " The first eminent - resolution range of a function of the major planet will be taken on August 27 when Juno makes its next close go to Jupiter . "
In this mental image , taken from a length of 4.3 million km ( 2.7 million miles ) from Jupiter , we see not only the planet itself , but also three of its four largest moon : Io , Europa , and Ganymede , from left to right . Its other large moon , Callisto , is not in view . On Jupiter itself , you’re able to clearly make out the Great Red Spot , a monolithic violent storm that has raged for more than 400 yr .
As for Juno , the spacecraft is preparing to set out its scientific missionary post in October with its suite of instruments on circuit board . The spacecraft , which prevail solely on solar power ( the utmost spacecraft from Earth to do so ) , will make 37 flybys of Jupiter up until February 2018 , as close as 4,100 kilometers ( 2,600 naut mi ) , before the mission will be brought to an death by sending Juno crashing into Jupiter ’s swarm top .
Juno will help us serve many question about Jupiter , include what the gasoline giant is made of ; at the moment we are n’t certain if Jupiter has a rough core . By analyzing the major planet ’s composition , Juno will also facilitate us figure out out if Jupiter formed in its current position , or further out in the Solar System – which has implications for our own major planet ’s organisation , too .