NASA’s Juno mission has shared a stunning image of the eerie surface of Jupiter’s Moon Europa.
NASA shared a beautiful and high resolution close-up photo of Jupiter moon Europa, all thanks to the Juno mission, revolves around the largest planet in our solar system. The image shows a detailed view of a puzzling region of the moon’s heavily fractured icy crust. NASA explains that the highest-resolution image ever of Jupiter’s Moon covers about 93 miles (150 km) x 125 miles (200 km) of Europa face, revealing an interlaced region with a network of small grooves and double ledges – something of a highway to hell, given that the moon is constantly being blown away by radiation from Jupiter. NASA said, “Juno’s Star Reference Unit (SRU) – a star camera used to orient the spacecraft – acquired a black and white image during the spacecraft’s flyby of Europa on September 29, 2022, at a distance of about 256 miles (412 km). “
“This image opens up an incredible level of detail in an area that has not been captured before at such resolution and in such revealing lighting conditions. The team’s scientific use of tracking cameras is a great example of Juno’s groundbreaking capabilities. These features are very attractive. Understanding how they form – and how they connect to Europa’s history – tells we Heidi Becker, lead investigator for Juno’s Star Reference Unit, said of the internal and external processes that form the icy crust.
This black and white image was taken on September 29, 2022, via Juno’s Star Reference Unit – a stellar camera used to orient the spacecraft at a distance of about 256 miles. Surprisingly, this image of Europa was taken as Juno passed at about 24 km/s. NASA says that the black spots in the image could be the result of something from below spewing onto the surface. Having some white dots is also indicative of high-energy particles from severe radiation around the moon.
More about NASA’s Juno Mission
NASA kicked off the Juno mission back on August 5, 2011. It embarked on a five-year journey to the largest planet in our solar system – Jupiter. NASA’s mission to Jupiter’s primary goal is to probe beneath the planet’s dense clouds and unlock Jupiter’s Secrets. The Juno spacecraft is designed to reveal some profound information about Jupiter – from its origin and evolution to our solar system, and the giant planets in general in the universe. Juno arrives at Jupiter on July 4, 2016.
