Beneath Jupiter

Data: 2025-05-25

Copyright: NASA, Juno, SwRI, MSSS; Processing & License: Gerald Eichstädt & Seán Doran

Explanation

Jupiter is stranger than we knew. NASA's Juno spacecraft（朱诺号） has now completed over 70 swoops past Jupiter as it moves around its highly elliptical orbit（椭圆形轨道）. Pictured from 2017, Jupiter is seen from below where, surprisingly, the horizontal bands（水平云带） that cover most of the planet disappear into swirls and complex patterns. A line of white oval clouds（椭圆形云团） is visible nearer to the equator. Impressive results from Juno show that Jupiter's weather phenomena（气象现象） can extend deep below its cloud tops, that Jupiter's center has a core（内核） that is unexpectedly large and soft（软性）, and that Jupiter's magnetic field（磁场） varies greatly with location. Although Juno is scheduled to keep orbiting Jupiter further into 2025, at some time the robotic spacecraft will be maneuvered（操控） to plunge into the giant planet. Jigsaw Jumble: Astronomy Puzzle of the Day