Jupiter from the Ground

Ground-based astronomers will be playing a vital role in NASA's Juno mission. Because Jupiter has such a dynamic atmosphere, images from the amateur astronomy community are needed to help the JunoCam instrument team predict what features will be visible when the camera's images are taken.

This image was acquired by Damian Peach on September 12, 2010, when Jupiter was close to opposition. South is up and the "Great Red Spot" is visible. Two of Jupiter's moons, Io and Ganymede, can also be seen in this image.

Photo credit: NASA/Damian Peach, Amateur Astronomer

What Juno Will See at Jupiter's South Pole

This simulated view of the south pole of Jupiter illustrates the unique perspective of NASA's Juno mission. The spacecraft's polar orbit will allow Juno's camera, called JunoCam, to image Jupiter's clouds from a vantage point never accessed by other spacecraft.

JunoCam was designed to return the best-ever images of Jupiter's pole. It has a 58-degree-wide field of view encompassing the entire polar region. The view illustrated here simulates an image taken 40 minutes before Juno's closest approach to Jupiter. At closest approach, JunoCam's images of Jupiter's cloudtops will have a resolution better than 3.1 miles (5 kilometers).

Illustration credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems

Covering Jupiter from Earth and Space

Ground-based astronomers will be playing a vital role in NASA's Juno mission. Because Jupiter has such a dynamic atmosphere, images from the amateur astronomy community are needed to help the JunoCam instrument team predict what features will be visible when the camera's images are taken.

This image was acquired by Freddy Willems on July 26, 2011. The level of detail captured here illustrates how well ground-based astronomers are able to image the planet. The views acquired by Juno's camera, called JunoCam, as the spacecraft travels through its polar orbit provide a unique vantage point not available to Earth-based observers. JunoCam images therefore complement equatorial views like this one, allowing scientists to study the global dynamics of this giant planet's atmosphere. South is up in this image.

Photo credit: NASA/Freddy Willems, Amateur Astronomer

The Launch of Juno

The first video is an "official" video, compiled from several different camera angles and including, toward the end, some animation sequences showing events in the launch sequence that could not be captured with cameras. The second video is a compilation of a number of launch videos from various cameras both on the ground and on board the rocket.

NASA's Juno spacecraft is on its way to Jupiter after being launched aboard an Atlas V rocket from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on August 5 at 11:25 a.m. Eastern. The solar-powered spacecraft will arrive at Jupiter in July 2016 and orbit its poles 33 times to find out more about the gas giant's interior, atmosphere and aurora. Scientists believe Jupiter holds the key to better understanding the origins of our solar system.

Video credit: NASA

Juno on the Launch Pad

NASA's Juno spacecraft awaits launch from inside the payload fairing atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V-551 launch vehicle. Juno and its rocket are at Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Photo credit: NASA/Kennedy Space Center

Amateurs to Take a Crack at Juno Images

Data from the camera onboard NASA's Juno mission, called JunoCam, will be made available to the public for processing into their own images. An example of this type of collaboration is illustrated here with an image of Jupiter taken by NASA's Voyager mission, and processed by Björn Jónsson. The image highlights Jupiter's "Great Red Spot."

Photo credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Juno Being Lowered into Position

At Space Launch Complex 41, the Juno spacecraft, enclosed in an Atlas payload fairing, was transferred into the Vertical Integration Facility where it was positioned on top of the Atlas rocket stacked inside.

Photo credit: NASA/Kennedy Space Center