NASA to reveal new secrets about Jupiter in live briefing on Oct 29; read details

Space enthusiasts are in for a treat this weekend as on Saturday, October 29, NASA will be hosting a briefing where it will reveal new findings of Jupiter. Our solar system is currently being probed by the Juno spacecraft, which was launched back in 2011 and has been vigil on Jupiter since 2016. NASA informed in a release that the spacecraft will provide the first 3D look at how the planet’s roiling atmosphere operates underneath the top layers of clouds. It added that these findings will also provide insight into the atmospheres of giant planets elsewhere in the universe.

When and where to watch the briefing?

Those waiting with sparkling eyes can tune in to the live briefing on a wide range of platforms offered by NASA. The event will air on NASA TV, the NASA app, the official website and the agency's YouTube channel, and the official Twitter handle at a scheduled timing of 12:30 am (IST) on Saturday. According to the agency, the event will take place from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which manages the Juno mission. 

Juno’s exploration of Jupiter

The spacecraft lifted off from NASA's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on August 5, 2011, with an aim to study Jupiter's magnetosphere, its composition, and its atmosphere as a whole. After reaching the gas giant in 2016, the spacecraft is now active as part of an extended mission that involves close passes of Jupiter’s north polar cyclones, future flybys of the moons Europa and Io, and the first exploration of the faint rings encircling the planet, as per NASA. 

In its five years of operation, Juno has transmitted some of the most spectacular images of Jupiter and its magnificent moons. Recently, the spacecraft flew by the largest moon of both Jupiter and our solar system, Ganymede, just a few months prior to its 10-year launch anniversary in August this year.

An introduction to Juno

Developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Juno carries two categories of items of historical and educational significance. The first is a plaque provided by the Italian Space Agency that depicts a portrait of Galileo and a text in Galileo's own handwriting which was penned in January 1610. The other items are three LEGO mini-figurines representing the Roman god Jupiter, his wife Juno, and Galileo carrying a telescope for inspiring children to explore a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Image: NASA