The Juno Spacecraft sees Big Black Spot on Jupiter

No need to panic though as the big black spot is the shadow of Jupiter's Moon Ganymede as it eclipses the Sun.

Citizen scientist Thomas Thomopoulos created this enhanced-color image using raw data from the JunoCam instrument (Figure A). At the time the raw image was taken, the Juno spacecraft was about 44,000 miles (71,000 kilometers) above Jupiter’s cloud tops, at a latitude of about 55 degrees south, and 15 times closer than Ganymede, which orbits about 666,000 miles (1.1 million kilometers) away from Jupiter.

An observer at Jupiter’s cloud tops within the oval shadow would experience a total eclipse of the Sun. Total eclipses are more common on Jupiter than Earth for several reasons. Jupiter has four major moons (Galilean satellites) that often pass between Jupiter and the Sun: in seven days, Ganymede transits once; Europa, twice; and Io, four times. And since Jupiter’s moons orbit in a plane close to Jupiter’s orbital plane, the moon shadows are often cast upon the planet.

JunoCam captured this image from very close to Jupiter, making Ganymede’s shadow appear especially large.
www.missionjuno.swri.edu...

Cool picture.

Very cool!

Thank you for sharing this shot! Epic!

a reply to: gortex

Whatta ya think the Earth would be dwarfed by that shadow right?

That is an awesome pic! Thanks for posting it. So many wonderful things going on in space.

originally posted by: gortex

No need to panic though as the big black spot is the shadow of Jupiter's Moon Ganymede as it eclipses the Sun.

Citizen scientist Thomas Thomopoulos created this enhanced-color image using raw data from the JunoCam instrument (Figure A). At the time the raw image was taken, the Juno spacecraft was about 44,000 miles (71,000 kilometers) above Jupiter’s cloud tops, at a latitude of about 55 degrees south, and 15 times closer than Ganymede, which orbits about 666,000 miles (1.1 million kilometers) away from Jupiter.

An observer at Jupiter’s cloud tops within the oval shadow would experience a total eclipse of the Sun. Total eclipses are more common on Jupiter than Earth for several reasons. Jupiter has four major moons (Galilean satellites) that often pass between Jupiter and the Sun: in seven days, Ganymede transits once; Europa, twice; and Io, four times. And since Jupiter’s moons orbit in a plane close to Jupiter’s orbital plane, the moon shadows are often cast upon the planet.

JunoCam captured this image from very close to Jupiter, making Ganymede’s shadow appear especially large.
www.missionjuno.swri.edu...

Cool picture.

what a beautiful marble Jupiter is.. marvel, I mean marvel...

I couldn't paint such a thing, yet in the void of space, nature creates it.

Looks Looks super cool but shadow of the moon is what they want you to think.

The Celestial Dragon is awakening!!!

Reminds me of when Jupiter collapse and formed a star in 2010

a reply to: gortex

I wonder does Jupiter produce enough heat for it's moons to support life .

SPAM REMOVED.

a reply to: putnam6

My first thought as well! LOL!

Loved that movie (though not as much as "2001: A Space Odyssey"!).


Both movies are why I have expected our first, publicly recognized, encounter with a UFO/UAP to be something other than a "typical 'flying saucer'"!


In fact, I seriously wonder if we will recognize it as a "vehicle".

a reply to: ChiefD

Indeed there are! I've always enjoyed thinking about these events, like the image here of Ganymede's shadow, actually occurring hundreds of millions of miles away from human eyes. I'm not explaining myself very well, I know, but I find such thoughts fascinating.

it's full of stars!

a reply to: asabuvsobelow

I wonder does Jupiter produce enough heat for it's moons to support life .

Jupiter itself doesn't but the forces Ganymede experiences through its slightly elliptical orbit of Jupiter creates heat through stretching of the Moon , this is what keeps the Moons Core liquid and provides heat to keep the proposed 60 mile deep ocean hidden bellow its ice shell liquid too , Ganymede is the only Moon in our Solar System to have its own magnetic field and probably has hydrothermal vents at the bottom of its ocean which on Earth provide a breading ground for life.

Ganymede is another of our Solar System Moons where we expect to find life.

originally posted by: Mantiss2021
a reply to: putnam6

My first thought as well! LOL!

Loved that movie (though not as much as "2001: A Space Odyssey"!).


Both movies are why I have expected our first, publicly recognized, encounter with a UFO/UAP to be something other than a "typical 'flying saucer'"!


In fact, I seriously wonder if we will recognize it as a "vehicle".

Love the movies and the books, Im ready to somebody try 2061: Odyssey Three. Wasn't that one where they landed on of the moons and it's covered in ice but there is a lobster-type life form or something? been so long I probably should read all of them again and then read #4.

Definitely agree, it's likely UFO/UAP come in a wide variety of looks

a reply to: gortex
I have it on good authority that “something wonderful” is happening on Jupiter.

No Monoliths here. Nothing to see. No, the planet isn't shrinking.

All gas giants have one of those ,

to relieve the pressure ...

Don't stand in front of it though !

I couldn't agree more,
It's absolutely breath taking . Jupiter is ammmmmmmazzzing ♥️
a reply to: jerich0