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Jupiter Eyes Ganymede
| Title |
Jupiter Eyes Ganymede |
| Explanation |
Who keeps an eye [ http://ciclops.lpl.arizona.edu/ciclops/ images_jupiter.html ] on the largest moon in the Solar System [ http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/overview.html ]? This moon, visible on the lower right, is Ganymede [ http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/ganymede.html ], and the planet it orbits, Jupiter [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/jupiter.html ], seems to be keeping a watchful eye, as its Great Red Spot [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960802.html ] appears serendipitously nearby. This recently released [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/PIAGenCatalogPage.pl?PIA02837 ] enhanced-contrast image from the robot spacecraft Cassini [ http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/english/spacecraft/ ] captures new details of the incredible intricacies of Jupiter's complex cloud [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000429.html ] patterns. Features as small as 250 kilometers can be seen. Counter-clockwise rotating high-pressure white ovals [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990105.html ] that are similar to the Great Red Spot [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001123.html ] appear in the red band below the spot. Between these spots are darker low-pressure systems [ http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wlowpres.htm ] that rotate clockwise. The hydrogen [ http://pearl1.lanl.gov/periodic/elements/1.html ] and helium [ http://pearl1.lanl.gov/periodic/elements/2.html ] that compose most of Jupiter's clouds is nearly invisible - the trace chemicals that give Jupiter these colors remain unknown [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960803.html ]. The Cassini spacecraft [ http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/saturn/qa/cassini/ ] is using Jupiter [ http://www.hawastsoc.org/solar/eng/jupiter.htm ] to pull it [ http://www.science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast24jun99_1.htm#gravityassist ] toward Saturn [ http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/saturn.html ], where it is scheduled [ http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/Mission/cruise.html ] to arrive in 2004. |
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Jupiter, Io, and Shadow
| Title |
Jupiter, Io, and Shadow |
| Explanation |
Just as planets orbit our Sun, Jupiter's Moons [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001118.html ] orbit Jupiter. Pictured above [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/PIAGenCatalogPage.pl?PIA02860 ] is the closest of Jupiter's Galilean Satellites [ http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/ganymede/discovery.html ], Io [ http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/io.html ], superposed in front of the giant planet it circles. To the left of Io [ http://www.hawastsoc.org/solar/eng/edu/moonio.htm ] is a dark spot that is its own shadow. The tremendous complexities that can be seen in Jupiter's banded, swirling atmosphere [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970310.html ] are being studied and may provide insight as to how Earth's atmosphere [ http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/earth/atmosphere.html ] behaves. The above true-color contrast-enhanced image [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/PIAGenCatalogPage.pl?PIA02860 ] was taken [ http://ciclops.lpl.arizona.edu/ciclops/images_jupiter.html ] two weeks ago by the robot spacecraft Cassini [ http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/saturn/qa/cassini/ ], currently passing Jupiter [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/jupiter.html ] and on its way to Saturn [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/saturn.html ] in 2004. Engineers continue to study [ http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/jupiterflyby/news/mission_status.html ] the Cassini spacecraft [ http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/basics/cassini.htm ] itself to understand why it required more force than normal to turn one of its maneuvering wheels. |
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Jupiter, Io and Shadow
| Title |
Jupiter, Io and Shadow |
| Explanation |
Pictured above [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/ PIAGenCatalogPage.pl?PIA02860 ] is the innermost of Jupiter's Galilean satellites [ http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/ganymede/ discovery.html ], Io, superposed in front of the gas giant planet. To the left of Io [ http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/io.html ] is a dark spot that is Io's own shadow. A solar eclipse [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021206.html ] would be seen from within the shadow spot on Jupiter. Viewed from [ http://space.jpl.nasa.gov ] planet Earth, similar shadows of Jupiter's large moons can often be seen crossing [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980202.html ] the giant planet's disk. But during the next several months, the Galilean moons can also be seen crossing in front of each other [ http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/planets/ article_771_1.asp ] as, for a while, their orbits lie nearly edge-on when viewed [ http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/wspace?tbody=105&vbody=3&month=12&day=20¢ury=20&decade=0&year=2&hour=21&minute=35&rfov=30&fovmul=-1&bfov=30 ] by earthbound observers. This true-color contrast-enhanced image was taken [ http://ciclops.lpl.arizona.edu/ciclops/images_jupiter.html ] two years ago by the robot spacecraft Cassini, as it passed Jupiter on its way [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021104.html ] to Saturn in 2004. |
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