Keeping in touch with Juno since its take off in early August – the Jupiter-bound probe was, as of the 24 August approximately 6.2 million miles from Earth, travelling at a velocity of 77,600 miles per hour relative to the sun. NASA reports the unmanned probe is in excellent health and is operating nominally.
The image below was taken from the spacecraft’s on board camera called JunoCam as part of the mission teams check out. The team is currently conducting its initial detailed checks on the spacecraft’s instruments and subsystems following its launch on 5 August.
Makes us look rather small and insignificant!
Earth (left) and the Moon (right) from 9.5 million kilometres - Credit: NASA (click to enlarge)
This is not the final farewell however as Juno is due to fly by Earth in 2013 for a gravitational slingshot which will give it enough speed to get on its way to Jupiter for 2016.
Just two weeks after retiring the shuttle program NASA is proving it is still the front-runner in space exploration. An unmanned space probe called Juno on route to Jupiter launched on Friday at Cape Canaveral at 17:25 (UT) – slightly delayed due to a helium leak in a ground system for the probe’s Atlas 5 rocket. You can watch the launch below.
Juno is NASA’s $1.1bn mission to beam back data and close-up images from the largest and oldest planet in our solar system. Jupiter is a giant in our solar system, taking most of the gas and dust left over as the system formed resulting in it becoming the king of planets. Jupiter has twice as much mass as everything else in the solar system put together (excluding the sun). However, very little is actually known about the planet – we do not know if there is a solid core of heavy elements or if this giant is made entirely of gas and it is still unclear how and where Jupiter formed.
Astrophysicists believe by understanding the make up and the structure of Jupiter we can learn more about the origins of our solar system.
Juno has a long road ahead. It is the first solar-powered mission to venture this far from the Sun. It will take Juno five years to reach its target, 400 million miles, which is five times further from the sun than Earth. Once there Juno will spend a year studying Jupiter’s atmosphere and composition as well as map and gauge its magnetic and gravitational fields to discover if a solid core exists. Once it has completed its studies Juno will kamikaze dive into the planet ensuring it does not crash into any of Jupiter’s moons.
Three LEGO figurines representing the Roman god Jupiter (right), his wife Juno (middle) and Galileo Galilei (left) - Credit: NASA/LEGO/collectSPACE.com
Although this is an unmanned mission there are a few special guests on board! The Roman god Jupiter, his wife Juno and “father of science” Galileo Galilei. These guests are three specially made LEGO figurines created as part of the Bricks in Space project, a joint project between NASA and the LEGO Group to inspire children to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
To find out more about the mission and to get Juno updates click here.
Neptune has just completed its first orbit around the sun since its discovery on September 23rd 1846. With the planet being 2.8 billion miles from the sun that’s an astonishing 165 years to do a full orbit.
Neptune covered by the bright blue methane clouds that whip around at speeds measuring more than 994mph - Credit: NASA
Neptune is the first planet to be discovered using mathematics. French astronomer Urbain Le Verrier noticed irregularities in the motions of other planets, and from these perturbations he calculated that there must be an 8th planet lurking out beyond Uranus.
We know there are 13 moons which orbit Neptune, with the largest being Triton, but little else is know about the planet as it has only been photographed once close range, on the Voyager 2 mission in 1989. A future mission to Neptune – The Neptune Orbiter Mission has been removed from the official NASA mission list.
Skymap of Neptune located at the time of discovery - CREDIT: Starry Night Software
Neptune will be returning to the exact point in its orbit where it was first discovered, just north of Saturn in the constellation Aquarius.
It is back in Aquarius tonight at 22:27 Universal Time (GMT).
Following on from tte-77′s post, and the Hubble Space Telescopes one millionth observation, here we have a selection its greatest achievements selected from staff at space.com.
The Hubble Space Telescope has lasted an astounding 20 years - Credit: NASA
It is hugely difficult to select just a few of the achievements, in 21 years and one million observations Hubble has revolutionised our understanding of the universe. As well as discoveries made which have led to breakthroughs in astrophysics, it has also inspired millions across the planet to take an interest in the sky around us and will hopefully lead on to the next generation of skywatchers and scientists.
Hubble helped construct the largest scale 3-D maps scientists have of where dark matter is distributed in the universe - Credit: Jee et al. 2005, Astrophysical Journal
Dark matter, which is invisible but reveals its existence via gravity, makes up roughly 23 percent of the universe. By analyzing the distortions caused by dark matter’s gravity on light from distant galaxies, Hubble helped construct the largest scale 3-D maps scientists have of where dark matter is distributed in the universe.
Hubble discovered two new moons of Pluto, dubbed Nix and Hydra, and recently mapped seasonal changes to its surface - Credit: NASA, ESA, and M. Buie (Southwest Research Institute)
Hubble discovered two new moons of Pluto, dubbed Nix and Hydra.
By determining the rate at which the universe is expanding, Hubble may have helped solve the mystery of how old the universe is - Credit: NASA and A. Riess (STScI)
By determining the rate at which the universe is expanding, Hubble may have helped solve the mystery of how old the universe is.
To see the full list of what are considered to be Hubble’s greatest achievements click here.
As Hubble’s last service was in 2009 time is running out for this vital tool, so lets hope its successor The James Webb Space Telescope will help reveal the answers to some of the biggest mysteries of astronomy – if of course we get to see The James Webb Space Telescope in action.
Feeling like you are missing out on some celebrations? Worry not, here are some extra special firework displays seen by the Hubble Space Telescope.
Fireworks in Nebula NGC 3603 - Credit: NASA, ESA, R. O'Connell (Uni. Virginia)
This nebula, located 20,000 light-years away in the constellation Carina, contains a central cluster of huge, hot stars called NGC 3603. The Hubble Space Telescope image was captured in August 2009 and December 2009 with the Wide Field Camera 3.
Up in Smoke! - Credit: NASA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
This supernova remnant, denoted LMC N 49, within the Large Magellanic Cloud, contains delicate filaments resembling puffs of smoke and sparks trailing from exploded fireworks. They are actually sheets of debris from a stellar explosion.
Cassopeia A lives on with remnants like Fireworks - Credit: NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Remnants of supernova Cassiopeia A illuminate the heavens like 4th July fireworks. Cassiopeia A is the youngest known supernova remnant in our Milky Way Galaxy and resides 10,000 light-years away in the constellation of Cassiopeia.
Cosmic explosion like Fireworks! - Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
In the nearby galaxy, the Small Magellanic Cloud, a massive star has exploded as a supernova, and begun to dissipate its interior into a spectacular display of colorful filaments. The supernova remnant (SNR), known as “E0102″ for short, is the greenish-blue shell of debris just below the center of the Hubble image.
These images have been released in the wake of the US Independence day festivities. To see the full album click here.
