NASA's Juno mission has unlocked groundbreaking insights into Jupiter's turbulent atmosphere and the fiery volcanic activity of its moon Io, offering scientists unprecedented tools to decode the gas giant’s mysteries. New data collected during the spacecraft’s close passes reveals the intensity of energy shaping Jupiter’s cyclone-filled north pole and provides the first detailed subsurface temperature map of Io, a critical step in understanding its violent eruptions.
Juno’s observations of Jupiter’s jet streams—powerful winds encircling the planet—led to a novel model explaining their speed and structure. Meanwhile, the moon Io’s thermal profile suggests a highly active magma system, reshaping theories about its role in the Jovian system.
"As Juno's orbit takes us to new regions of Jupiter's complex system, we're seeing the immensity of energy this gas giant wields," said Scott Bolton, Juno’s principal investigator.
Launched in 2011, Juno traveled 1.74 billion miles before reaching Jupiter in 2016. Designed to study the planet’s origins and evolution, the mission now illuminates how solar systems and gas giants form across the cosmos. Future flybys of Io are expected to refine these discoveries, deepening our grasp of planetary dynamics.
