After a journey of 5 years and 2.7 billion kilometers, the Juno probe NASA managed to put in orbit around Jupiter. The small ship 3.6 tonnes will from Tuesday and during the next 18 months studying the largest planet in the solar system. His goal: break the many mysteries that still surround the gas giant.
Contrary to what one might think, the scientists still a relative knowledge of Jupiter. It is for example not even know if the planet has a core, if it is liquid or solid or what it is made!
And for good reason. soil lacks for a landing, not conducive to all forms of life, with an atmospheric pressure that exceeds a million times that of Earth, it is frankly not hospitable. But his interest suddenly exploded since scientists have discovered thousands of exoplanets upsetting training theories gas giants. It will take at least several days, if not months, before his first book Juno information. Meanwhile, the Express offers some fun facts about Jupiter.
Juno recorded Jupiter’s magnetosphere
A few days before its orbit, Juno managed to record several sounds from Jupiter through his instrument waves ( “waves”), to study the aurora of the planet. The first was recorded on June 24 in the area where the supersonic solar wind meets the Jovian magnetosphere and cause a “shock wave”. The particles of the solar wind, traveling at 400 kilometers per second (1.44 million kilometers per hour) then slow down suddenly, like a stone thrown into water.
The next day, Juno has penetrated the magnetopause, the boundary between the magnetosphere of a planet and the solar wind. She recorded the waves’ jammed particles “, driven by both the Sun and Jupiter. Both tracks, published on the Soundcloud NASA, are very similar. Some think recognize “alien locusts”, other songs or the “techno-alien.”
An application for your PC / Mac to follow Juno Live
Now that you have “listened” Jupiter, you can begin the serious things and follow NASA mission live. Just visit Nasa the site “Eyes on Juno ” (Eyes on Juno) and download the Nasa’s eyes (eyes of NASA ) for PC or Mac by clicking on the right on “Download App”.
screen Capture application from NASA to monitor the live status of Juno compared to Jupiter, including its position, speed etc. .
NASA’s Eyes
once installation is complete and the program has started, click on the frame “Juno Mission”. You can now follow the inside of the mission, in real time, and see the speed of Juno, its distance from Jupiter, observed from the planet or view encompassing the solar system. All in 3D. If you want even more immerse yourself in the space near Jupiter, see also this video 360 ° NASA.
And if you tire of Jupiter, Nasa’s eyes also allows you to explore the Earth from space, the entire solar system and even exoplanets.
Juno and Jupiter: the Lannister space
NASA rarely leaves things to chance. And certainly not the name she chose for its probes. In Roman mythology, Juno -Junon in French- is the queen of the gods and protector of marriage. It is also the daughter of Rhea and Saturn. And it is especially both Jupiter and the twin sister of the bride. You said cercei and Jaime Lannister in the series Game of Thrones
Cersei and Jaime Lannister, brother, sister and lovers. Taken from season 6 Game of thrones.
HBO / Youtube
But back to our mythological gods. According to legend, Jupiter, wishing to protect its secrets and packages, created a veil of clouds around . Juno him was the only one able to break through and reveal the true nature of her husband’s brother in real life, the NASA probe has exactly the same mission. point its sensors in the direction of Jupiter’s atmosphere -and in particular to “The Great Red Spot”, a giant anticyclone semi-Permanent- to pierce its secrets.
The Lego in Juno
Another anecdote fun: Juno is manned by … more Lego exactly three figures representing mythological gods Jupiter and Juno, but also the Italian astronomer Galileo it is the latter who discovered in 1610 the four largest satellites.. the planet Jupiter and which gave its name to Galileo, the last probe sent by NASA to observe Jupiter and its moons.
The three Lego figurines aluminum present in Juno. From left to right: Jupiter, with its lightning, Juno, with his magnifying glass and Galileo with his telescope and an orb that could be Jupiter
NASA / JPL-Caltech / KSC <. / p>
And why the hell Lego figurines are in a NASA probe? As explained Slate.fr, it is a partnership established in 2011 between the Danish company and the US space agency. To mark the toy, it’s a nice advertising, and NASA, it is an attempt “to encourage children to explore science, technology and mathematics,” she announced then.
The small aluminum figurines -the same material as JUNO cost 4,500 euros each. They share the same (sad) fate as their ship, namely the destruction by the pressure of Jupiter, which will eventually bring in her womb the NASA probe. That collectors do not despair, there are three replicas on Earth. This is Scott Bolton, head of the Juno mission, which preserves.
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