First image of the Great Red spot and its moons, JunoCam sends back images of Jupiter

PASADENA July 13 A NASA spacecraft has sent back the first pictures since arriving at Jupiter.

An image released Tuesday shows Jupiter surrounded by three of its four largest moons. The picture was taken on Saturday when the Juno spacecraft was circling 3 million miles away. Even at that distance, Jupiter’s Great Red Spot — a centuries-old atmospheric storm — was visible.

Juno entered orbit around Jupiter last week after a five-year journey. It’s on a 20-month mission to map the giant planet’s poles, atmosphere and interior.

During the approach, the camera and instruments were powered off as a precaution as Juno braved intense radiation. The instruments were turned back on several days after the arrival.

Scientists have said close-ups of Jupiter won’t come until next month when Juno swings back around.

The new view was obtained when the spacecraft was 4.3 million kilometres from Jupiter on the outbound leg of its initial 53.5-day capture orbit.

The colour image shows atmospheric features on Jupiter, including the famous Great Red Spot, and three of the massive planet’s four largest moons – Io, Europa and Ganymede, from left to right in the image.

“JunoCam will continue to take images as we go around in this first orbit,” said Candy Hansen, Juno co-investigator from the Planetary Science Institute in the US.

“The first high-resolution images of the planet will be taken on August 27 when Juno makes its next close pass to Jupiter,” Hansen said.

JunoCam is a colour, visible-light camera designed to capture remarkable pictures of Jupiter’s poles and cloud tops.

As Juno’s eyes, it will provide a wide view, helping to provide context for the spacecraft’s other instruments.

JunoCam was included on the spacecraft specifically for purposes of public engagement; although its images will be helpful to the science team, it is not considered one of the mission’s science instruments.

The Juno team is currently working to place all images taken by JunoCam on the mission’s website, where the public can access them.

During its mission of exploration, Juno will circle the Jovian world 37 times, soaring low over the planet’s cloud tops – as close as about 4,100 kilometres.

During these flybys, Juno will probe beneath the obscuring cloud cover of Jupiter and study its auroras to learn more about the planet’s origins, structure, atmosphere and magnetosphere.

(AP)