The Closest Images Ever Taken of Jupiter 

On August 5, 2011, NASA’s Juno spacecraft embarked on a 5-year journey to Jupiter, our solar system’s largest planet. Juno arrived at Jupiter on July 4, 2016, after a five-year, 1,740-million-mile journey, and settled into a 53-day polar orbit stretching from just above Jupiter’s cloud tops to the outer reaches of the Jovian magnetosphere.

During the prime mission’s 35 orbits of Jupiter, Juno collected more than three terabits of science data and provided dazzling views of Jupiter and its satellites, all processed by citizen scientists with NASA’s first-ever camera dedicated to public outreach. Juno’s many discoveries have changed our view of Jupiter’s atmosphere and interior, revealing an atmospheric weather layer that extends far beyond its water clouds and a deep interior with a dilute heavy element core. Near the end of the prime mission, as the spacecraft’s orbit evolved, flybys of the moon Ganymede initiated Juno’s transition into a full Jovian system explorer.

Now in its extended mission, Juno will continue its investigation of the solar system’s largest planet through September 2025, or until the spacecraft’s end of life. This extension tasks Juno with becoming an explorer of the full Jovian system – Jupiter and its rings and moons – with additional rendezvous planned for two of Jupiter’s most intriguing moons: Europa and Io.

What are the closest images ever taken of the planet Jupiter?

While many spacecraft have visited the gas giant, only NASA’s Juno spacecraft has flown just above its cloud tops. Coming closer than any other spacecraft. Revealing what the largest planet in the solar system looks like up close and personal.

So much of the gas giant is still a mystery, but by using the stunning images captured by Juno, we can peel back the layers of this enormous world and take a closer look at its fascinating features like never before.

So, what did we see?

Do not forget to share your opinion with us to provide you with the best posts !