Tag Archives: Jupiter

Google Created “Juno Reaches Jupiter!” Doodle



Google Doodle Juno Reaches JupiterMission Juno was launched on August 5, 2011. It arrived at Jupiter on July 4, 2016. Google created a special Google Doodle about it called “Juno reaches Jupiter!”  Not all Google Doodles are animated, but this one is.

https://youtu.be/0DGQi-Yngew

The Juno spacecraft was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida about five years ago. The principal goal of Mission Juno is to understand the origin and evolution of Jupiter.

Some of the things Juno will do include:
* Investigate the existence of a solid planetary core
* Map Jupiter’s intense magnetic field
* Measure the amount of water and ammonia in the deep atmosphere
* Observe Jupiter’s auroras

Juno reached Jupiter on July 4, 2016. Over the next few months, Juno’s mission and science teams will perform final testing on the spacecraft’s subsystems, final calibration of science instruments, and some science collection. Their official science collection phase will begin in October.

NASA released a video of Juno’s approach to Jupiter:

The Juno spacecraft also carries three Lego minifigs. One represents the Roman god Jupiter, who holds a lightning bolt. Another represents Juno, (Jupiter’s wife). She is holding a magnifying glass as a sign for searching for truth. The third minifig represents Galileo Galliei, who holds a telescope. Each of these three special Lego minifigs is made out of aluminum (which can endure the extreme conditions of space).


Space Alert: Moon, Venus, Jupiter Alignment Tonight



For the second time in a few weeks the moon, Venus, and Jupiter will come together in our night sky for a great viewing opportunity.  The alignment will be at it’s peak both tonight and tomorrow night (March 25 and 26).  If you are lucky enough to be in area that isn’t overcast then you will be treated to the crescent moon appearing between Jupiter (below the moon) and the brighter Venus (above).

If you are looking for the conjunction then plan to look west just after sunset.  Jupiter will appear about 15 degrees above the horizon with the moon just above it and Venus about 10 degrees higher than the moon.  To give you an idea of exactly how bright the two planets will be you may actually be able to see them during daylight hours.  They can be hard to spot during daylight most of the time, but thanks to their proximity to the moon, which is easily found during the day, they become much easier to locate.

For more in-depth information you can check out Phil Plait’s Bad Astronomy blog over at Discover Magazine.  You can also check out the skymap below, which is also courtesy of Phil.