Scott Boulton and Emma Bunce, experts in Jupiter missions, join the podcast to discuss the planet's unique characteristics, the upcoming Juice mission to explore its icy moons, and the challenges of traveling to Jupiter. Stargazing expert Robert Massey shares April night sky observations.
Jupiter is the largest planet with extreme features like hazardous radiation belts and massive storms driven by fast rotation and sunlight.
Exploration missions like Juno have revealed surprises about Jupiter's atmosphere, magnetic field, and moons, challenging previous assumptions and providing insights into the formation of moons and potential for life in ocean-bearing moons like Europa and Ganymede.
Deep dives
Jupiter's Size, Brightness, and Composition
Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and is brighter than any star apart from the Sun. It is mostly made up of hydrogen and helium and has a diameter of 140,000 kilometers, which is 1,300 times the size of Earth.
Jupiter's Extreme Nature and Magnetic Field
Jupiter is often described as the 'planet on steroids' due to its extreme features. It has the most hazardous radiation belts, the largest magnetic field, and spins the fastest, completing a rotation in just under 10 hours. Its storms, including the iconic Great Red Spot, are massive and are driven by fast rotation and sunlight. Its magnetic field interacts with its atmosphere and moons, creating a dynamic and fascinating system.
Exploring Jupiter: Galileo Mission and Juno Mission
Humans have been exploring Jupiter for centuries, from Galileo's observations of its moons to NASA's Galileo mission becoming the first spacecraft to orbit an outer planet. The current mission, Juno, is providing unprecedented insights into Jupiter's atmosphere, magnetic field, and interior structure. Juno's close observations have revealed surprises, such as cyclones at the poles and a dilute core, challenging previous assumptions about the planet's dynamics.
Jupiter's Moons and Their Origins
Jupiter has a staggering 95 moons, with the four largest known as the Galilean moons: Ganymede, Callisto, Europa, and Io. These moons likely formed in situ around Jupiter, while smaller captured asteroids also orbit the planet. Studying Jupiter's moons can provide insights into the formation and migration of moons and planets in other systems, as well as the habitability and potential for life in ocean-bearing moons like Europa and Ganymede.
Izzie and Dr Becky explore the largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter. What do we know about this big ol’ planet? And what are the missions that will find out even more? The team is joined by Scott Boulton, Principal Investigator of NASA's Juno mission, and Professor Emma Bunce from the University of Leicester, also involved with ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (aka JUICE). Plus Robert Massey shares his top stargazing tips for spring.