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what lies inside you better
presented by science at nasa
ever since the invention of the telescope four hundred years ago
astronomers have been studying jupiter
who could resist
it's such a big bright target in the night sky
just one problem
it's tough to get to the bottom of a planet that's permanently cloudy
for four long centuries the caste riots a vast interior has remained hidden from
view
messes juneau probe scheduled to launch on august fifth
could change all of that
the goal of the mission is to answer the question
what lies inside jupiter
our knowledge of jupiter is truly skin deep
says scott baldwin of the southwest research institute in san antonio texas
allman is june as principal investigator
even the galileo probe
which dived into the clouds in nineteen ninety five
penetrated no more than about point two percent of jupiter's radius
there are many basic things researchers would like to know
like how far down does the great red spot gail and what is the exotic
material that liza jupiter score
juno will improve the situation without actually diving into the clouds
bolden explains how
swooping as low as five thousand kilometers above the cloud tops
juno will spend a full year orbiting your to jupiter in any previous space
craft
aprox flight path will cover all attitudes and launch a kids
allowing us to fully map jupiter's gravitational field
and figure out how the interior is structured
jupiter's interior is a place of great interest
the planet is made primarily of hydrogen gas
deep inside jupiter however high temperatures and crushing pressures
transform the gas into an exotic form of matter known as liquid metallic hydrogen
it is what it sounds like
a liquid form of hydrogen akin to the slippery mercury him old-fashioned
thermometer
jupiter's powerful magnetic field
almost certainly springs from the dynamo action inside this vast rome of
electrically conducting fluid
juneau is magnetometers will precisely mapped jupiter's magnetic field says
bolton
this will tell us a great deal about jupiter's inner magnetic dynamo
what it's made of and how it works
juno will also probe jupiter's atmosphere using a set of microwave
radiometer x
are sensors to measure the temperature and water content act up's where the
pressure is fifty times greater than what the galileo probe experienced says
bolton
researchers would use that information to understand that deep structure of the
atmosphere and unravel some of the mysteries of jupiter's monster storm's
juno will get a grandview of the most powerful northern lights in the solar
system
juniors polar orbit is ideal for studying jupiter's arose explains bolton
unlike earth
which lights up in response to solar activity
jupiter makes its own arose
they are really strong
and we don't fully understand how they are created
juneau sensors might solve the mystery
a beautiful bonus
for updates about the june a mission
and more information about cloudy planets everywhere
please stay tuned
to science dot nasa