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Thank you, Juno spacecraft, for this glorious new image of the southern regions of Jupiter – and to remind us of the beauty that exists at within our tumultuous solar system.
Here is the southern hemisphere of Jupiter, seen from a distance of 44,300 miles (71,400 km) and above a southern latitude of about 71 degrees. NASA's Juno probe took the picture (which was colored) during a particularly close orbital encounter on May 23, 2018. The probe is in a unique polar orbit, which is why we are finally able to see the lower regions of this massive planet.
The southern tip of Jupiter, like its north, is full of storms. The oval features are the cyclones, the largest of which measure up to 600 miles (1000 km) in diameter. It is easy to forget the scale by looking at an image like this; more than 1,300 lands would enter this giant gas.
Juno arrived at Jupiter on July 4, 2016 and, although the orbits are longer than expected, the spacecraft has returned a wealth of valuable data. In early June, NASA announced that Juno's mission will be extended until 2021, which means we can expect more images like these and more discoveries about the inner workings of the largest planet in our solar system.
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