Five years after the launch of the Earth (Juno began a mission in August 2011), an American spacecraft entered on Tuesday the orbit of Jupiter.
– The probe entered orbit after lasting 35 minutes maneuver slowing down near the planet. Jupiter its gravitational tentacle probe intercepted and stopped it on its orbit – explains astronomer Charles Wojcicki associated with the Copernicus Science Centre.
Juno will be orbited Jupiter for a year. During this time, has sent back to Earth pictures – the best approximation of the surface of this planet, ever made.
The aim of the mission is to understand the origin and evolution of Jupiter, looking for dense core of the planet, creating a map of the magnetic field, as well as measuring the amount of water and ammonia in the atmosphere.
– We focus on a lot of interesting information. Do not expect, however, that it will be so much beautiful and spectacular pictures, as in the case of Cassini, which provided, among others, beautiful photographs of Saturn – compared Wojcicki.
Besides – he added – the camera in just one year is likely to be damaged by radiation.
Before we only had one opportunity to examine closely the Jupiter – it was the probe Galileo (orbited in 1995-2003).
Dr Krzysztof Ziolkowski of the Space Research Centre of Polish Academy of Sciences pointed out that Juno probe will deepen the information obtained by Galileo – with a special focus on is to understand the processes that govern the formation of planets around other stars.
While space probes reach the vicinity of Jupiter from the 70s, still a lot of things on this planet do not know.
When Juno fulfill its tasks in 2018 finally “dives” in Jupiter’s atmosphere and burn.
PAP, IAR, kk
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