NASA's Juno beams back another stunning Jupiter pic shadowed by its Moon Ganymede

In yet anor intriguing transmission, NASA's Juno spacecraft has beamed back a new picture of Jupiter and its moon Ganymede. Captured using spacecraft's JunoCam instrument, image shows Jupiter and its magnificent swirls with a show cast by one of its biggest moons. According to NASA, this view was captured during Juno's 40th close flyby by giant planet, which occurred on February 25. 

This enhanced-color photograph was created by citizen scientist Thomas Thomopoulos, who used data from JunoCam. At time of Juno's recent flyby, it was about 71,000 kilometers above Jupiter’s cloud tops, at a latitude of about 55 degrees south. What's more, spacecraft was 15 times closer than Ganymede, which orbits gas giant approximately 1.1 million kilometers away from Jupiter.

"An observer at Jupiter’s cloud tops within oval show would experience a total eclipse of Sun. Total eclipses are more common on Jupiter than Earth for several reasons", NASA said. Out of 79 suspected moons of Jupiter, Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, which are also called Galilean moons are four major ones.

Ganymede, mystery moon

It is not first instance when Juno has captured such a view of mysterious moon. In past, citizen scientist Kevin M. Gill released a similar picture. image was captured during spacecraft's 20th flyby when it was just 1,046 kilometers above Ganymede’s surface.

(Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill)

Ganymede is one of targeted bodies which will be explored during European Space Agency's JUICE mission scheduled for launch in 2023.  JUICE spacecraft will orbit Ganymede for eight months and will help scientists study its magnetism, Ganymede's most exciting feature. Interestingly, spacecraft under this mission will become first to orbit a Moon or than Earth's.

Anor attractive feature of Ganymede is its sub-surface ocean, which is said to have more water than on Earth. It is worth noting that this Moon of Jupiter is bigger than Pluto and Mercury, making it bigger than any or moon.