<p>NASA's spacecraft Juno has found in its recent probe that the lightning in Jupiter is very similar to that of Earth. The brownish ammonia clouds that cover Jupitar are similar to the clouds that blanket Earth in their composition. Both are made of water.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And the way lightning is generally within clouds on Earth, &nbsp;a similar eerie sight was spotted by multiple spacecraft which visited the largest planet of the solar system, including Juno.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The data collected by Juno is giving fresh information on the similar processes through which lightning occurs on Jupiter and Earth, even though the two planets have dramatic differences between the two planets, as per scientists.</p>

<p>"Lightning is an electric discharge which is initiated inside thunderclouds. The ice and water particles inside the cloud get charged by collisions and form layers of particles with the charge of the same polarity," stated planetary scientist Ivana Kolmasova of the Czech Academy of Sciences' Institute of Atmospheric Physics in Prague, who is also the lead author of the study which was published in the journal Nature Communications this week.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-spot-jupiters-12-new-moons-in-latest-discovery-making-it-the-planet-with-highest-number-of-moons-558779">Astronomers spot 12 new moons of Jupiter, taking total to 92, surpassing Saturn in lunar tally</a></p>

<p>"By this process, a huge electric field is established and the discharge can be initiated. This explanation is somewhat simplified because scientists are still not completely sure what is exactly happening inside thunderclouds," Kolmasova further explained.</p>

<p>The occurrence of lightning on Jupiter was confirmed after telltale radio emissions at audible frequencies were recorded by NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft in 1979 after it ventured through the solar system.</p>

<h2><strong>Lightning in planets of solar system</strong></h2>

<p>Lightning has been observed on other gas planets of the solar system - Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Scientists have some evidence of lightning in the clouds of the planet Venus, however, it is still an issue of debate.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Various studies have detailed similarities in the lightning processes on Earth and Jupiter. For instance, &nbsp;lightning rates on both planets are similar although the distribution of lightning on the giant planet differs from that of Earth.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: "Juice" mission to study Jupiter's icy moons</strong></p>

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<p>"On Earth, the tropical regions are the most active ones. The majority of Jovian lightning occurs in mid-latitudes and also in polar regions. We have nearly no lightning activity close to the poles on the Earth. It means that conditions for the formation of Jovian and terrestrial thunderclouds are probably very different," stated Kolmasova.</p>

<p>"There were some attempts to compare the power of lightning based on optical measurements and it was concluded that lightning on Jupiter might be comparable with the strongest terrestrial lightning," he added while emphasising that more analysis is planned.</p>

<p>Jupiter is primarily composed of hydrogen and helium along with traces of other gases. &nbsp;</p>

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NASA's spacecraft Juno has found in its recent probe that the lightning in Jupiter is very similar to that of Earth. The brownish ammonia clouds that cover Jupitar are similar to the clouds that blanket Earth in their composition.

NASA's spacecraft Juno has found in its recent probe that the lightning in Jupiter is very similar to that of Earth. The brownish ammonia clouds that cover Jupitar are similar to the clouds that blanket Earth in their composition. Both are made of water. And the way lightning is generally within clouds on Earth, a similar eerie sight was spotted by multiple spacecraft which visited the largest planet of the solar system, including Juno. The data collected by Juno is giving fresh information on the similar processes through which lightning occurs on Jupiter and Earth, even though the two planets have dramatic differences between the two planets, as per scientists. "Lightning is an electric discharge which is initiated inside thunderclouds. The ice and water particles inside the cloud get charged by collisions and form layers of particles with the charge of the same polarity," stated planetary scientist Ivana Kolmasova of the Czech Academy of Sciences' Institute of Atmospheric Physics in Prague, who is also the lead author of the study which was published in the journal Nature Communications this week. ALSO READ | Astronomers spot 12 new moons of Jupiter, taking total to 92, surpassing Saturn in lunar tally "By this process, a huge electric field is established and the discharge can be initiated. This explanation is somewhat simplified because scientists are still not completely sure what is exactly happening inside thunderclouds," Kolmasova further explained. The occurrence of lightning on Jupiter was confirmed after telltale radio emissions at audible frequencies were recorded by NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft in 1979 after it ventured through the solar system. Lightning in planets of solar system Lightning has been observed on other gas planets of the solar system - Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Scientists have some evidence of lightning in the clouds of the planet Venus, however, it is still an issue of debate. Various studies have detailed similarities in the lightning processes on Earth and Jupiter. For instance, lightning rates on both planets are similar although the distribution of lightning on the giant planet differs from that of Earth. WATCH | Gravitas: "Juice" mission to study Jupiter's icy moons "On Earth, the tropical regions are the most active ones. The majority of Jovian lightning occurs in mid-latitudes and also in polar regions. We have nearly no lightning activity close to the poles on the Earth. It means that conditions for the formation of Jovian and terrestrial thunderclouds are probably very different," stated Kolmasova. "There were some attempts to compare the power of lightning based on optical measurements and it was concluded that lightning on Jupiter might be comparable with the strongest terrestrial lightning," he added while emphasising that more analysis is planned. Jupiter is primarily composed of hydrogen and helium along with traces of other gases. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

NASA spacecraft discovers how Jupiter's lightning shares similarity with Earth's

<p>The European Space Agency's (ESA) Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission, which was launched on April 14, 2023, from the ESA spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana&nbsp;has experienced a glitch with its antenna.</p>

<p>The agency took to Twitter and shared an update on the deployment status of the ice-penetrating Radar for the Icy Moons Exploration (RIME) antenna and said that it could not yet be deployed as per the plan.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ESAJuice?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ESAJuice</a> deployment status update: our 16 m-long ice-penetrating RIME antenna is not yet fully deployed as planned. Work is ongoing to resolve an issue currently preventing it from being released from its mounting bracket.<br />
<br />
Details 👉 <a href="https://t.co/AIr13dQzMw">https://t.co/AIr13dQzMw</a> <a href="https://t.co/ABC2Ok8DXj">pic.twitter.com/ABC2Ok8DXj</a></p>
— ESA's Juice mission (@ESA_JUICE) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESA_JUICE/status/1651939141955772417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>"During the first week of commissioning, an issue arose with the 16-metre-long RIME antenna, which is preventing it from being released from its mounting bracket," the agency said in a <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Juice/Work_continues_to_deploy_Juice_RIME_antenna">statement</a>.</p>

<p>The ESA added that the work is ongoing "to free the radar" and teams at ESA’s mission control centre in Darmstadt, Germany, along with partners in science and industry, "have lots of ideas up their sleeves".&nbsp;</p>

<p>JUICE is ESA's first mission ever to find traces of alien life on Jupiter. It will reach Jupiter's orbit by July 2031 which is roughly 628 million kilometres (390 million miles) away from planet Earth.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Another view of <a href="https://twitter.com/ariane5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ariane5</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VA260?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VA260</a> liftoff and ascent. For real-time mission updates, follow <a href="https://twitter.com/Arianespace?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Arianespace</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ESA_JUICE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESA_JUICE</a> 👍 <a href="https://t.co/1YCuYhPr2h">pic.twitter.com/1YCuYhPr2h</a></p>
— ESA (@esa) <a href="https://twitter.com/esa/status/1646851886945820673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>First, it will do a fly-by of Earth and the Moon, then will slingshot around Venus in 2025 before swinging past Earth again in 2029.</p>

<p>Once the probe arrives in 2031, it will need to very carefully hit the brakes to enter Jupiter's orbit.</p>

<p>From there, JUICE will focus on Jupiter and its three icy, ocean-bearing moons Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.</p>

<p>Sharing an update on the status of the JUICE mission, ESA said that it is otherwise "performing excellently after the successful deployment and operation of its mission-critical solar arrays and medium gain antenna, as well as its 10.6-m magnetometer boom".</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Juice is otherwise performing excellently and with two months of planned commissioning, there is plenty of time to work on any issues. More updates when we have them. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StayTuned?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StayTuned</a> 📸RIME antenna awaiting deployment on 14 April 2023 <a href="https://t.co/QVkyi8Uwd5">pic.twitter.com/QVkyi8Uwd5</a></p>
— ESA's Juice mission (@ESA_JUICE) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESA_JUICE/status/1651940546921807877?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pictures captured by the Juice Monitoring Camera aboard the spacecraft show more signs of movement in the RIME antenna.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>What is RIME instrument?</h2>

<p>As per ESA's website, the &nbsp;RIME instrument is an ice-penetrating radar designed to study the surface and subsurface structure of Jupiter’s icy moons down to a depth of 9 km.</p>

<p>It is one of 10 instruments on board ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, Juice, set to probe the emergence of habitable worlds around gas giants and the formation of our Solar System.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>
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The European Space Agency's (ESA) Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission, which was launched on April 14, 2023, from the ESA spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana has experienced a glitch with its antenna.

The European Space Agency's (ESA) Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission, which was launched on April 14, 2023, from the ESA spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana has experienced a glitch with its antenna. The agency took to Twitter and shared an update on the deployment status of the ice-penetrating Radar for the Icy Moons Exploration (RIME) antenna and said that it could not yet be deployed as per the plan. #ESAJuice deployment status update: our 16 m-long ice-penetrating RIME antenna is not yet fully deployed as planned. Work is ongoing to resolve an issue currently preventing it from being released from its mounting bracket. Details 👉 https://t.co/AIr13dQzMw pic.twitter.com/ABC2Ok8DXj — ESA's Juice mission (@ESA_JUICE) April 28, 2023 × "During the first week of commissioning, an issue arose with the 16-metre-long RIME antenna, which is preventing it from being released from its mounting bracket," the agency said in a statement. The ESA added that the work is ongoing "to free the radar" and teams at ESA’s mission control centre in Darmstadt, Germany, along with partners in science and industry, "have lots of ideas up their sleeves". JUICE is ESA's first mission ever to find traces of alien life on Jupiter. It will reach Jupiter's orbit by July 2031 which is roughly 628 million kilometres (390 million miles) away from planet Earth. Another view of @ariane5 #VA260 liftoff and ascent. For real-time mission updates, follow @Arianespace and @ESA_JUICE 👍 pic.twitter.com/1YCuYhPr2h — ESA (@esa) April 14, 2023 × First, it will do a fly-by of Earth and the Moon, then will slingshot around Venus in 2025 before swinging past Earth again in 2029. Once the probe arrives in 2031, it will need to very carefully hit the brakes to enter Jupiter's orbit. From there, JUICE will focus on Jupiter and its three icy, ocean-bearing moons Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. Sharing an update on the status of the JUICE mission, ESA said that it is otherwise "performing excellently after the successful deployment and operation of its mission-critical solar arrays and medium gain antenna, as well as its 10.6-m magnetometer boom". Juice is otherwise performing excellently and with two months of planned commissioning, there is plenty of time to work on any issues. More updates when we have them. #StayTuned 📸RIME antenna awaiting deployment on 14 April 2023 pic.twitter.com/QVkyi8Uwd5 — ESA's Juice mission (@ESA_JUICE) April 28, 2023 × Pictures captured by the Juice Monitoring Camera aboard the spacecraft show more signs of movement in the RIME antenna. What is RIME instrument? As per ESA's website, the RIME instrument is an ice-penetrating radar designed to study the surface and subsurface structure of Jupiter’s icy moons down to a depth of 9 km. It is one of 10 instruments on board ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, Juice, set to probe the emergence of habitable worlds around gas giants and the formation of our Solar System. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

ESA's Jupiter-bound spacecraft JUICE experiences glitch with antenna in deep space

Europe's first-ever Jupiter mission is officially underway. The European Space Agency's (ESA) Juice spacecraft launched atop an Ariane 5. Rocket from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana. Could there be life beyond space? WION's Eric Njoka asks Dr. Amitabha Ghosh, a space scientist at NASA.

'Juice' spacecraft blasts off to Jupiter's moons

<p>The European Space Agency (ESA) launched its JUICE probe in&nbsp;second launch attempt that took place on Friday (April 14). The first attempt was called off on April 13 due to threat of lightning.&nbsp;The launch took place from European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana&nbsp;at 9:14 am local time (1214 GMT). JUICE probe was launched on an Ariane 5 rocket.</p>

<p>ESA posted video of the launch on its Twitter handle.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Another view of <a href="https://twitter.com/ariane5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ariane5</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VA260?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VA260</a> liftoff and ascent. For real-time mission updates, follow <a href="https://twitter.com/Arianespace?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Arianespace</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ESA_JUICE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESA_JUICE</a> 👍 <a href="https://t.co/1YCuYhPr2h">pic.twitter.com/1YCuYhPr2h</a></p>
— ESA (@esa) <a href="https://twitter.com/esa/status/1646851886945820673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>The probe separated as planned at an altitude of 1,500 kilometres (930 miles), 27 minutes after launching from Europe's spaceport in Kourou.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Stephane Israel, the CEO of French firm Arianespace in charge of the rocket, said it meant the launch was "a success".</p>

<p>The JUICE mission is aimed at investigating Jupiter's icy moons and Jupiter itself. Scientists think that these moons cover oceans of liquid water underneath. According to our current understanding, where there is water, there might be life.</p>

<p>The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) plans to take a long and winding path to the gas giant, which is 628 million kilometres (390 million miles) from Earth.</p>

<p>It will use several gravitational boosts along the way, first by doing a fly-by of Earth and the Moon, then by sling-shotting around Venus in 2025 before swinging past Earth again in 2029.</p>

<p>When the probe finally enters Jupiter's orbit in July 2031, its 10 scientific instruments will analyse the Solar System's largest planet as well as its three icy moons Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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The European Space Agency (ESA) launched its JUICE probe in second launch attempt that took place on Friday (April 14). The first attempt was called off on April 13 due to threat of lightning.

The European Space Agency (ESA) launched its JUICE probe in second launch attempt that took place on Friday (April 14). The first attempt was called off on April 13 due to threat of lightning. The launch took place from European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana at 9:14 am local time (1214 GMT). JUICE probe was launched on an Ariane 5 rocket. ESA posted video of the launch on its Twitter handle. Another view of @ariane5 #VA260 liftoff and ascent. For real-time mission updates, follow @Arianespace and @ESA_JUICE 👍 pic.twitter.com/1YCuYhPr2h — ESA (@esa) April 14, 2023 × The probe separated as planned at an altitude of 1,500 kilometres (930 miles), 27 minutes after launching from Europe's spaceport in Kourou. Stephane Israel, the CEO of French firm Arianespace in charge of the rocket, said it meant the launch was "a success". The JUICE mission is aimed at investigating Jupiter's icy moons and Jupiter itself. Scientists think that these moons cover oceans of liquid water underneath. According to our current understanding, where there is water, there might be life. The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) plans to take a long and winding path to the gas giant, which is 628 million kilometres (390 million miles) from Earth. It will use several gravitational boosts along the way, first by doing a fly-by of Earth and the Moon, then by sling-shotting around Venus in 2025 before swinging past Earth again in 2029. When the probe finally enters Jupiter's orbit in July 2031, its 10 scientific instruments will analyse the Solar System's largest planet as well as its three icy moons Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Watch: ESA successfully launches JUICE probe, onward to Jupiter now

<p>The European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launch Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) on Friday (April 14). The launch took place from ESA spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. An Ariane 5 rocket lifted-off carrying JUICE probe at 9:14 am local time (1214 GMT). The path ahead is long and winding. The space probe will be in Jupiter's orbit by July 2031. Jupiter is 628 million kilometre away from our home planet.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The European Space Agency posted launch of JUICE on its social media handle. Check out the brilliant video.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Another view of <a href="https://twitter.com/ariane5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ariane5</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VA260?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VA260</a> liftoff and ascent. For real-time mission updates, follow <a href="https://twitter.com/Arianespace?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Arianespace</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ESA_JUICE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESA_JUICE</a> 👍 <a href="https://t.co/1YCuYhPr2h">pic.twitter.com/1YCuYhPr2h</a></p>
— ESA (@esa) <a href="https://twitter.com/esa/status/1646851886945820673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>JUICE will make detailed observations of the giant gas planet and its three large ocean-bearing moons – Ganymede, Callisto and Europa – with remote sensing, geophysical and in situ instruments. The mission will explore the&nbsp;moons as possible habitats besides studying Jupiter’s complex environment.</p>

<p>So what will JUICE do during it's mission? Let's get the dope.</p>

<h2><strong>What is JUICE's mission?</strong></h2>

<p>Finding aliens! Quite literally.</p>

<p>We may be less than a decade away from finding signs of life (or life itself) in our solar system! Finding alien life has been a scientific pre-occupation for us for decades. The question, 'Are we are alone in the Universe?' has been on our mind for a long time. To find the answer, we have applied our minds and focussed our powerful lenses which have been scanning distant corners or deep space for decades. Our giant radio receptors are ever alert to catch a transmission from an alien civilisation. We have also sent space probes (Voyager 1 and 2) packed with information in hopes that someday aliens will find them and come to know about us.</p>

<p>But the answer may be closer to home than we think. Alien life may be present in our Solar System itself.</p>

<h2><strong>Where can aliens be in our Solar System?</strong></h2>

<p>There are several candidates. Jupiter, the biggest planet in our solar system has several satellites which have had scientists interested. Europa, in particular has been in focus.</p>

<p>Europa is an icy world. The surface of the planet is covered by extremely thick ice sheets. Ice is lighter than water, so wherever there's ice, there is a possibility of water underneath.</p>

<p>Scientist think that Europa has oceans of liquid water under its massive ice sheets. And we know from our own planet that water means life.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In theory at least, it is possible that Europa harbours life in liquid oceans below the surface. This may be a downer for those of us expecting insect like aliens with antennas on their head to exist in space. But even if we find definitive proof of sea creatures swimming in Europa's oceans, wouldn't it be insanely fantastic discovery?</p>

<p>In addition to Europa, JUICE will study Ganymede and Callisto, two more satellites of Jupiter.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>How will JUICE search for&nbsp;life?</strong></h2>

<p>Whenever we talk of life under Europa's ice sheets, first image that comes to mind is that of a human-made machine dutifully drilling the ice. This may sound easy enough until we know that Europa's ice sheets are thought to be between 16 and 24 kilometres thick!</p>

<p>Drilling to such depths is hard enough task on Earth, forget doing it on a frozen world millions of kilometres away. Logistics will be a major problem.&nbsp;</p>

<p>So how will JUICE manage?</p>

<p>It will make remote observations. But this will not be just clicking a random picture from the orbit. JUICE has 10 state-of-the-art scientific instruments onboard. It's high resolution mapping of the surface at different wavelengths will tell us about composition of the ice at the surface.&nbsp;</p>

<p>JUICE will also look for biological signatures, that it, chemicals that form as a result of various biological processes. If such chemicals are found, it will boost the possibility of existence of life on Europa.</p>

<p>JUICE is not expected to actually find extraterrestrial life. It definitely won't drop a fishing net to catch some Europan salmon. But its readings and observations will enable us to assess habitability of the satellite.</p>

<h2><strong>Why is JUICE taking 8 years to reach Jupiter?</strong></h2>

<p>JUICE launch on April 14 doesn't give it a straight highway ticket from Earth to Jupiter. The space probe is taking a long-winding route that'll see it taking 'gravity assists' from Earth, Moon, and Venus.</p>

<p>A 'gravity assist' is a technique by which a spacecraft takes help of gravitational field of a planet to get a speed boost. For gravity assist, the spacecraft needs to pass through the planet's gravitational field at a carefully calibrated exact point in order to get a 'slingshot effect'. Smallest of the mistakes during this manoeuvre results in the spacecraft getting pulled towards the planet and getting destroyed in an unfortunate crash.</p>

<p>"By the time the first solar orbit is complete, Earth has caught up with JUICE and the first gravity-assist manoeuvre can be performed. At this point, the spacecraft is deflected towards Venus and it falls in the direction of the Sun, increasing speed...After passing Venus, JUICE makes subsequent flybys of Earth, Mars...and Earth again before its rendezvous with Jupiter in October 2029," says the European Space Agency on its website.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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The European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launch Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) on Friday (April 14). The launch took place from ESA spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

The European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launch Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) on Friday (April 14). The launch took place from ESA spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. An Ariane 5 rocket lifted-off carrying JUICE probe at 9:14 am local time (1214 GMT). The path ahead is long and winding. The space probe will be in Jupiter's orbit by July 2031. Jupiter is 628 million kilometre away from our home planet. The European Space Agency posted launch of JUICE on its social media handle. Check out the brilliant video. Another view of @ariane5 #VA260 liftoff and ascent. For real-time mission updates, follow @Arianespace and @ESA_JUICE 👍 pic.twitter.com/1YCuYhPr2h — ESA (@esa) April 14, 2023 × JUICE will make detailed observations of the giant gas planet and its three large ocean-bearing moons – Ganymede, Callisto and Europa – with remote sensing, geophysical and in situ instruments. The mission will explore the moons as possible habitats besides studying Jupiter’s complex environment. So what will JUICE do during it's mission? Let's get the dope. What is JUICE's mission? Finding aliens! Quite literally. We may be less than a decade away from finding signs of life (or life itself) in our solar system! Finding alien life has been a scientific pre-occupation for us for decades. The question, 'Are we are alone in the Universe?' has been on our mind for a long time. To find the answer, we have applied our minds and focussed our powerful lenses which have been scanning distant corners or deep space for decades. Our giant radio receptors are ever alert to catch a transmission from an alien civilisation. We have also sent space probes (Voyager 1 and 2) packed with information in hopes that someday aliens will find them and come to know about us. But the answer may be closer to home than we think. Alien life may be present in our Solar System itself. Where can aliens be in our Solar System? There are several candidates. Jupiter, the biggest planet in our solar system has several satellites which have had scientists interested. Europa, in particular has been in focus. Europa is an icy world. The surface of the planet is covered by extremely thick ice sheets. Ice is lighter than water, so wherever there's ice, there is a possibility of water underneath. Scientist think that Europa has oceans of liquid water under its massive ice sheets. And we know from our own planet that water means life. In theory at least, it is possible that Europa harbours life in liquid oceans below the surface. This may be a downer for those of us expecting insect like aliens with antennas on their head to exist in space. But even if we find definitive proof of sea creatures swimming in Europa's oceans, wouldn't it be insanely fantastic discovery? In addition to Europa, JUICE will study Ganymede and Callisto, two more satellites of Jupiter. How will JUICE search for life? Whenever we talk of life under Europa's ice sheets, first image that comes to mind is that of a human-made machine dutifully drilling the ice. This may sound easy enough until we know that Europa's ice sheets are thought to be between 16 and 24 kilometres thick! Drilling to such depths is hard enough task on Earth, forget doing it on a frozen world millions of kilometres away. Logistics will be a major problem. So how will JUICE manage? It will make remote observations. But this will not be just clicking a random picture from the orbit. JUICE has 10 state-of-the-art scientific instruments onboard. It's high resolution mapping of the surface at different wavelengths will tell us about composition of the ice at the surface. JUICE will also look for biological signatures, that it, chemicals that form as a result of various biological processes. If such chemicals are found, it will boost the possibility of existence of life on Europa. JUICE is not expected to actually find extraterrestrial life. It definitely won't drop a fishing net to catch some Europan salmon. But its readings and observations will enable us to assess habitability of the satellite. Why is JUICE taking 8 years to reach Jupiter? JUICE launch on April 14 doesn't give it a straight highway ticket from Earth to Jupiter. The space probe is taking a long-winding route that'll see it taking 'gravity assists' from Earth, Moon, and Venus. A 'gravity assist' is a technique by which a spacecraft takes help of gravitational field of a planet to get a speed boost. For gravity assist, the spacecraft needs to pass through the planet's gravitational field at a carefully calibrated exact point in order to get a 'slingshot effect'. Smallest of the mistakes during this manoeuvre results in the spacecraft getting pulled towards the planet and getting destroyed in an unfortunate crash. "By the time the first solar orbit is complete, Earth has caught up with JUICE and the first gravity-assist manoeuvre can be performed. At this point, the spacecraft is deflected towards Venus and it falls in the direction of the Sun, increasing speed...After passing Venus, JUICE makes subsequent flybys of Earth, Mars...and Earth again before its rendezvous with Jupiter in October 2029," says the European Space Agency on its website. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Explained | Get the dope on JUICE, Europe’s mission to find aliens

The European Space Agency will launch a mission to search for sustainable life on Jupiter's icy moons. Would the mission unravel the mysteries of deep space? Molly Gambhir brings you a report.

Gravitas: "Juice" mission to study Jupiter's icy moons

<p>Liftoff of the European Space Agency's (ESA) JUICE mission, which seeks to find whether Jupiter's icy moons are capable of hosting life, has been postponed by 24 hours because of bad weather. The launch was previously planned to take place at 1215 GMT on Thursday (April 13). ESA has said that the next attempt will take place on Friday within 30 seconds of the same time. The decision to postpone the launch was taken due to threat of lightning in the cloudy skies.</p>

<p>Stephane Israel, the CEO of French firm Arianespace in charge of the Ariane 5 rocket, told AFP that with just minutes to spare, "a large mass of clouds approached and we absolutely could not proceed with the launch due to the risk of lightning".</p>

<p>In order for a perfect liftoff, three parameters must get the green light: the launcher, the probe and the weather</p>

<p>On Friday, the risk of lightning will be monitored "until the last moment," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The delay was announced to the Jupiter control room in Kourou, where many people, including Belgium's King Philippe, had gathered to watch the launch.</p>

<p>The JUpiter ICy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission is still on track to arrive at the gas giant in July 2031. The six-tonne spacecraft, uncrewed will investigate Jupiter's icy moons.</p>

<p>The discovery of huge oceans of liquid water -- the main ingredient for life as we know it -- kilometres beneath their icy shells has made them prime candidates to potentially host life in our celestial backyard.</p>

<p>Once launched, JUICE will take a long and winding path to Jupiter, which is some 628 million kilometres (390 million miles) from Earth, using other planets for a gravitational boost along the way.</p>

<p>First, it will do a fly-by of Earth and the Moon, then will slingshot around Venus in 2025 before swinging past Earth again in 2029.<br />
Once the probe arrives in 2031, it will need to very carefully hit the brakes to enter Jupiter's orbit.</p>

<p>From there, JUICE will focus on Jupiter's and its three icy, ocean-bearing moons Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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Liftoff of the European Space Agency's (ESA) JUICE mission, which seeks to find whether Jupiter's icy moons are capable of hosting life, has been postponed by 24 hours because of bad weather.

Liftoff of the European Space Agency's (ESA) JUICE mission, which seeks to find whether Jupiter's icy moons are capable of hosting life, has been postponed by 24 hours because of bad weather. The launch was previously planned to take place at 1215 GMT on Thursday (April 13). ESA has said that the next attempt will take place on Friday within 30 seconds of the same time. The decision to postpone the launch was taken due to threat of lightning in the cloudy skies. Stephane Israel, the CEO of French firm Arianespace in charge of the Ariane 5 rocket, told AFP that with just minutes to spare, "a large mass of clouds approached and we absolutely could not proceed with the launch due to the risk of lightning". In order for a perfect liftoff, three parameters must get the green light: the launcher, the probe and the weather On Friday, the risk of lightning will be monitored "until the last moment," he added. The delay was announced to the Jupiter control room in Kourou, where many people, including Belgium's King Philippe, had gathered to watch the launch. The JUpiter ICy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission is still on track to arrive at the gas giant in July 2031. The six-tonne spacecraft, uncrewed will investigate Jupiter's icy moons. The discovery of huge oceans of liquid water -- the main ingredient for life as we know it -- kilometres beneath their icy shells has made them prime candidates to potentially host life in our celestial backyard. Once launched, JUICE will take a long and winding path to Jupiter, which is some 628 million kilometres (390 million miles) from Earth, using other planets for a gravitational boost along the way. First, it will do a fly-by of Earth and the Moon, then will slingshot around Venus in 2025 before swinging past Earth again in 2029. Once the probe arrives in 2031, it will need to very carefully hit the brakes to enter Jupiter's orbit. From there, JUICE will focus on Jupiter's and its three icy, ocean-bearing moons Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

ESA JUICE mission delayed by 24 hours due to bad weather

<p>The European Space Agency (ESA) reached the final stage of launching its much-awaited and ambitious mission to explore Jupiter and its three biggest moons.</p>

<p>The mission called “Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice)” will be launched on April 13 from Europe’s Spaceport located in Kourou, French Guiana.</p>

<p>The spacecraft will travel in space for eight years before reaching its destination in 2031 to study the gas giant along with its three large ocean-bearing moons – Callisto, Ganymede and Europa.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong> <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-spot-jupiters-12-new-moons-in-latest-discovery-making-it-the-planet-with-highest-number-of-moons-558779">Astronomers spot 12 new moons of Jupiter, taking total to 92, surpassing Saturn in lunar tally</a></p>

<p>The spacecraft has been transferred by the engineers to its final assembly before the next week's launch and has been mounted on the Ariane 5 rocket which will carry it into space.</p>

<p>"This ambitious mission will characterise these moons with a powerful suite of remote sensing, geophysical, and in situ instruments to discover more about these compelling destinations as potential habitats for past or present life," said the European Space Agency, in a statement.</p>

<p>During its space mission, Juice will study Jupiter's radiation, plasma environment and magnetism in-depth and their interplay with the moons.</p>

<p>The spacecraft will carry mono-methyl hydrazine (MMH) fuel and nitrogen (MON) oxidizer's mixed oxides, which ignite when the two come in contact.</p>

<p>The propellant will be used by Juice to make critical course manoeuvres during its journey into the Jupiter system and to move into orbit around the planet to finally reach its largest moon, Ganymede.</p>

<p>The spacecraft, after reaching Jupiter, will conduct 35 flybys of the moons of the gas giant to explore the mission's principal objectives: Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.</p>

<p>ESA said that the mission will end after an extended study of Ganymede, making the spacecraft the first of its kind which orbited a moon other than Earth's in 2034.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH | Gravitas: A spectacular planetary performance</strong></p>

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<p>The spacecraft will include 10 instruments and will characterise the ocean-bearing icy moons of Jupiter. The mission will also seek answers to questions like whether the existence of life is unique to our planet or whether there is a possibility of life's occurrence in our Solar System or other galaxies.</p>

<p>The agency will launch the spacecraft onboard the Ariane-5 rocket, which is a workhorse for the European Space Agency. Ariane 5 includes a core stage with two side boosters and an upper stage which is powered by a payload fairing and a liquid-propellant engine.</p>

<p>The ogive-shaped fairing present at the top of Ariane 5 is 5.4 m in diameter and over 17 m high.</p>

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<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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The European Space Agency (ESA) reached the final stage of launching its much-awaited and ambitious mission to explore Jupiter and its three biggest moons. The mission called “Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice)” will be launched on April 13 from Europe’s Spaceport located in Kourou, French Guiana.

The European Space Agency (ESA) reached the final stage of launching its much-awaited and ambitious mission to explore Jupiter and its three biggest moons. The mission called “Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice)” will be launched on April 13 from Europe’s Spaceport located in Kourou, French Guiana. The spacecraft will travel in space for eight years before reaching its destination in 2031 to study the gas giant along with its three large ocean-bearing moons – Callisto, Ganymede and Europa. ALSO READ | Astronomers spot 12 new moons of Jupiter, taking total to 92, surpassing Saturn in lunar tally The spacecraft has been transferred by the engineers to its final assembly before the next week's launch and has been mounted on the Ariane 5 rocket which will carry it into space. "This ambitious mission will characterise these moons with a powerful suite of remote sensing, geophysical, and in situ instruments to discover more about these compelling destinations as potential habitats for past or present life," said the European Space Agency, in a statement. During its space mission, Juice will study Jupiter's radiation, plasma environment and magnetism in-depth and their interplay with the moons. The spacecraft will carry mono-methyl hydrazine (MMH) fuel and nitrogen (MON) oxidizer's mixed oxides, which ignite when the two come in contact. The propellant will be used by Juice to make critical course manoeuvres during its journey into the Jupiter system and to move into orbit around the planet to finally reach its largest moon, Ganymede. The spacecraft, after reaching Jupiter, will conduct 35 flybys of the moons of the gas giant to explore the mission's principal objectives: Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. ESA said that the mission will end after an extended study of Ganymede, making the spacecraft the first of its kind which orbited a moon other than Earth's in 2034. WATCH | Gravitas: A spectacular planetary performance The spacecraft will include 10 instruments and will characterise the ocean-bearing icy moons of Jupiter. The mission will also seek answers to questions like whether the existence of life is unique to our planet or whether there is a possibility of life's occurrence in our Solar System or other galaxies. The agency will launch the spacecraft onboard the Ariane-5 rocket, which is a workhorse for the European Space Agency. Ariane 5 includes a core stage with two side boosters and an upper stage which is powered by a payload fairing and a liquid-propellant engine. The ogive-shaped fairing present at the top of Ariane 5 is 5.4 m in diameter and over 17 m high. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

ESA's mission Juice to embark on exploration of Jupiter and its icy moons on April 13

<p>Planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus aligned with the Moon forming an arc across Monday's evening sky, with some being clearly visible to the naked eye of humans.</p>

<p>Such an alignment is often termed "a planetary parade" and was visible to people after sunset in the west. Clear skies and a good view of the horizon gave people the best chance to see the alignment of planets.</p>

<p>Last summer, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus and Mercury had come together in what was said to be a rare planetary conjunction. The best way to spot the planets in alignment on Monday was to travel away from the city's bright light to someplace with an unobstructed, clear view.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong> <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/rare-treat-for-skywatchers-all-solar-system-planets-visible-to-the-naked-eye-547558">Rare 'treat' for skywatchers: All solar system planets visible to the naked eye</a></p>

<p>The planets needed to be spotted early in the evening because Jupiter and Mercury disappeared quickly over the horizon. People got some of the best views from Scotland's northern parts and its islands due to the clear skies.</p>

<p>Astronomer Royal for Scotland's Prof Catherine Heymans viewed the spectacle from Portobello beach in Edinburgh.</p>

<p>"Planet spotting on a crystal clear night along with so many other planetary parade enthusiasts was an absolute delight!" she said.</p>

<p>Royal Observatory Greenwich's astronomer Jake Foster said that such alignments of planets are very particular to the perspective we get from Earth.</p>

<p>"The planets aren't aligned right now, they are all spread out across the Solar System but just from our perspective, every once in a while they get close enough to each other in the sky that we're able to see quite a few at once," he added.</p>

<p>Anglesey, which is situated in north Wales, has some of Europe's darkest skies.</p>

<p>North Wales' dark skies officer Dani Robertson, speaking from Anglesey, said that evening was a visual treat even after a slight cloudy haze.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH | Gravitas: The Earth has a hidden layer. Here's what it's called</strong></p>

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<p>"I'm in my back garden and I can see a very nice little crescent Moon, to the top left and just above it I can see Mars, which has a lovely red glow, and a bit lower towards the horizon there's a really bright light and that's Venus. If it were clearer, I could see all of it, the only one you wouldn't be able to see is Uranus, you'd need a telescope,” she said.</p>

<p>Kielder Observatory's Dan Pye from Hexham, near Scotland's border, said that looking at the planets in alignment gave us a perspective about where are we placed in the solar system.</p>

<p>"Over the course of the night, the distance between these objects shifts as the moon goes around us, we move a little further around the sun, and the planets continue their journeys around the sun. I think witnessing this helps you realise that connection we have to the cosmic ballet we have with other objects in just our very local space theatre,” he said.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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Planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus aligned with the Moon forming an arc across Monday's evening sky, with some being clearly visible to the naked eye of humans.

Planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus aligned with the Moon forming an arc across Monday's evening sky, with some being clearly visible to the naked eye of humans. Such an alignment is often termed "a planetary parade" and was visible to people after sunset in the west. Clear skies and a good view of the horizon gave people the best chance to see the alignment of planets. Last summer, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus and Mercury had come together in what was said to be a rare planetary conjunction. The best way to spot the planets in alignment on Monday was to travel away from the city's bright light to someplace with an unobstructed, clear view. ALSO READ | Rare 'treat' for skywatchers: All solar system planets visible to the naked eye The planets needed to be spotted early in the evening because Jupiter and Mercury disappeared quickly over the horizon. People got some of the best views from Scotland's northern parts and its islands due to the clear skies. Astronomer Royal for Scotland's Prof Catherine Heymans viewed the spectacle from Portobello beach in Edinburgh. "Planet spotting on a crystal clear night along with so many other planetary parade enthusiasts was an absolute delight!" she said. Royal Observatory Greenwich's astronomer Jake Foster said that such alignments of planets are very particular to the perspective we get from Earth. "The planets aren't aligned right now, they are all spread out across the Solar System but just from our perspective, every once in a while they get close enough to each other in the sky that we're able to see quite a few at once," he added. Anglesey, which is situated in north Wales, has some of Europe's darkest skies. North Wales' dark skies officer Dani Robertson, speaking from Anglesey, said that evening was a visual treat even after a slight cloudy haze. WATCH | Gravitas: The Earth has a hidden layer. Here's what it's called "I'm in my back garden and I can see a very nice little crescent Moon, to the top left and just above it I can see Mars, which has a lovely red glow, and a bit lower towards the horizon there's a really bright light and that's Venus. If it were clearer, I could see all of it, the only one you wouldn't be able to see is Uranus, you'd need a telescope,” she said. Kielder Observatory's Dan Pye from Hexham, near Scotland's border, said that looking at the planets in alignment gave us a perspective about where are we placed in the solar system. "Over the course of the night, the distance between these objects shifts as the moon goes around us, we move a little further around the sun, and the planets continue their journeys around the sun. I think witnessing this helps you realise that connection we have to the cosmic ballet we have with other objects in just our very local space theatre,” he said. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Planetary Parade | Five planets come in rare alignment along with Moon in night sky

<p>In a new discovery, astronomers spotted 12 new moons around Jupiter, as the total count of the number of its satellites reached a record-breaking 92.&nbsp;With this, Jupiter became the planet with the highest number of moons in our solar system. Saturn, which was till now the planet with the highest number of 83 moons, now stands in second place.</p>

<p>The moons of Jupiter were recently added to the list maintained by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Centre, said Carnegie Institution's Scott Sheppard, who was part of the team.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-find-earth-like-exoplanet-in-habitable-zone-around-its-star-558568">Scientists find Earth-like exoplanet in a habitable zone around its star</a></p>

<p>The moons were discovered using telescopes in Hawaii and Chile in 2021 and 2022, and the astronomers confirmed their orbits in the follow-up observations.</p>

<p>Sheppard said that the newly-discovered moons range in size from 0.6 miles to 2 miles (1 kilometre to 3 kilometres).</p>

<p>"I hope we can image one of these outer moons close-up in the near future to better determine their origins," he stated in an email sent on Friday.</p>

<p>A spacecraft will be sent by the European Space Agency to Jupiter in April to investigate the planet and study some of its biggest and icy moons.</p>

<p>The Europa Clipper will be launched by NASA next year to explore Jupiter's one moon, which is said to harbour an ocean underneath its frozen crust.</p>

<p>Sheppard, who had a few years ago discovered several moons around Saturn, and had participated in discoveries of Jupiter's 70 moons so far, hopes to keep adding to the lunar tally of the two gas giants.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;WION Climate Tracker: Can nuclear fusion save our planet?</strong></p>

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<p>Sheppard said that Jupiter and Saturn have many&nbsp;small moons which are said to be fragments of the bigger moons which once existed and eventually collided with each other or with asteroids or comets.</p>

<p>The same scenario applies to Neptune and Uranus, however, they are so distant that moon-spotting becomes even harder.</p>

<p>Uranus has till now 27 confirmed moons, Neptune has 14, Mars has two and Earth has one. Venus and Mercury do not have any satellites.</p>

<p>The newly-found moons of Jupiter are yet to be named. Sheppard said that only some of the moons are big enough, at least 1 mile (1.5 kilometres) or so, to be given a name.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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In a new discovery, astronomers spotted 12 new moons around Jupiter, as the total count of the number of its satellites reached a record-breaking 92. With this, Jupiter became the planet with the highest number of moons in our solar system.

In a new discovery, astronomers spotted 12 new moons around Jupiter, as the total count of the number of its satellites reached a record-breaking 92. With this, Jupiter became the planet with the highest number of moons in our solar system. Saturn, which was till now the planet with the highest number of 83 moons, now stands in second place. The moons of Jupiter were recently added to the list maintained by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Centre, said Carnegie Institution's Scott Sheppard, who was part of the team. ALSO READ | Scientists find Earth-like exoplanet in a habitable zone around its star The moons were discovered using telescopes in Hawaii and Chile in 2021 and 2022, and the astronomers confirmed their orbits in the follow-up observations. Sheppard said that the newly-discovered moons range in size from 0.6 miles to 2 miles (1 kilometre to 3 kilometres). "I hope we can image one of these outer moons close-up in the near future to better determine their origins," he stated in an email sent on Friday. A spacecraft will be sent by the European Space Agency to Jupiter in April to investigate the planet and study some of its biggest and icy moons. The Europa Clipper will be launched by NASA next year to explore Jupiter's one moon, which is said to harbour an ocean underneath its frozen crust. Sheppard, who had a few years ago discovered several moons around Saturn, and had participated in discoveries of Jupiter's 70 moons so far, hopes to keep adding to the lunar tally of the two gas giants. WATCH | WION Climate Tracker: Can nuclear fusion save our planet? Sheppard said that Jupiter and Saturn have many small moons which are said to be fragments of the bigger moons which once existed and eventually collided with each other or with asteroids or comets. The same scenario applies to Neptune and Uranus, however, they are so distant that moon-spotting becomes even harder. Uranus has till now 27 confirmed moons, Neptune has 14, Mars has two and Earth has one. Venus and Mercury do not have any satellites. The newly-found moons of Jupiter are yet to be named. Sheppard said that only some of the moons are big enough, at least 1 mile (1.5 kilometres) or so, to be given a name. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Astronomers spot 12 new moons of Jupiter, taking total to 92, surpassing Saturn in lunar tally

Scientists have for a long time speculated the presence of life in Jupiter's frozen moons. The speculation is based on the fact that there is liquid water beneath the kilometers that ice sheets to explore the presence of life at Jupiter's moons.

WION Fineprint | Juice: One of Europe's grandest-ever space missions

<p>On Wednesday, astronomy buffs witnessed what experts regard as a rare astronomical event where all the planets in the solar system were visible in the night sky.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the Northern Hemisphere, Venus, Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars could be seen with the naked eye. While, the two outermost planets, Uranus and Neptune could be seen using binoculars or telescopes and would be visible until the end of the year.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/china-develops-lobster-eye-telescope-to-scan-the-murky-depths-of-the-universe-547044">China develops 'lobster eye' telescope to scan the murky depths of the universe</a></strong></p>

<p>Such "grand tours" as per Space happen roughly once every one or two years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As per Guardian, all eight planets appeared only 1.5 degrees apart on Wednesday night and will reach their closest point or conjunction today (Thursday, December 29) at 2100 GMT (0230 IST).</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;NASA's Dart mission: The world's first planetary defence</strong></p>

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<p>Talking to Newsweek, Gianluca Masi, an astronomer with the Virtual Telescope Project in Italy, said "These nights, we can see all the planets of our solar system at a glance, soon after sunset. It happens from time to time, but it is always a spectacular sight."</p>

<p>In June, skywatchers were treated to a similar but rarer alignment of five planets, where Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were arranged in an alignment the likes of which hadn't occurred in about 150 years, or since 1864.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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On Wednesday, astronomy buffs witnessed what experts regard as a rare astronomical event where all the planets in the solar system were visible in the night sky.

On Wednesday, astronomy buffs witnessed what experts regard as a rare astronomical event where all the planets in the solar system were visible in the night sky. In the Northern Hemisphere, Venus, Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars could be seen with the naked eye. While, the two outermost planets, Uranus and Neptune could be seen using binoculars or telescopes and would be visible until the end of the year. Also read | China develops 'lobster eye' telescope to scan the murky depths of the universe Such "grand tours" as per Space happen roughly once every one or two years. As per Guardian, all eight planets appeared only 1.5 degrees apart on Wednesday night and will reach their closest point or conjunction today (Thursday, December 29) at 2100 GMT (0230 IST). Watch | NASA's Dart mission: The world's first planetary defence Talking to Newsweek, Gianluca Masi, an astronomer with the Virtual Telescope Project in Italy, said "These nights, we can see all the planets of our solar system at a glance, soon after sunset. It happens from time to time, but it is always a spectacular sight." In June, skywatchers were treated to a similar but rarer alignment of five planets, where Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were arranged in an alignment the likes of which hadn't occurred in about 150 years, or since 1864. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Rare 'treat' for skywatchers: All solar system planets visible to the naked eye

<p>Our Sun may appear bountiful as it supports all life on Earth. But even it has a limited life-span. About five billion years from now, the fuel within the Sun will be spent and the Sun will start expanding. And it will certainly spell doom for planets like Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.&nbsp;However, there are many theories about the grim fate of our Solar System and exactly how the Earth will meet its end (or will it?) is still being discussed in the scientific community.</p>

<p>A new observation of a planet spiralling into a dying star may help us understand and predict what can be the Earth's fate when the only star that sustains it begins to die.</p>

<p>In a new study published on Monday (December 19), a team of mostly US-based researchers said they hope the doomed exoplanet Kepler-1658b can help shed light on how worlds die as their stars get older.</p>

<p>Kepler-1658b, which is 2,600 light years from Earth, is known as a "hot Jupiter" planet.</p>

<p>The planet is similar in size to Jupiter. However, it revolves around its dying star in an orbit one-eighth the distance between Mercury and the Sun. This makes it far hotter than Jupiter in our Solar System.</p>

<p>Kepler-1658b's orbit around its host star takes less than three days -- and it is getting shorter by around 131 milliseconds a year, according to the study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.</p>

<p>"If it continues spiralling towards its star at the observed rate, the planet will collide with its star in less than three million years," said Shreyas Vissapragada, a postdoc at the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and the study's lead author.</p>

<p>"This is the first time we've observed direct evidence for a planet spiralling towards its evolved star," he told AFP.&nbsp;</p>

<p>So could Earth be heading towards a similar doom?</p>

<p>"Death-by-star is a fate thought to await many worlds and could be the Earth's ultimate adios billions of years from now as our Sun grows older," the Center for Astrophysics said in a statement.<br />
<br />
Vissapragada said that "in five billion years or so, the Sun will evolve into a red giant star".&nbsp;</p>

<p>While the tidally-driven processes seen on Kepler-1658b "will drive the decay of the Earth's orbit towards the Sun," that effect could be counter-balanced by the Sun losing mass, he said.</p>

<p>"The ultimate fate of the Earth is somewhat unclear," he added.</p>

<p>Kepler-1658b was the first exoplanet ever observed by the Kepler space telescope, which launched in 2009. However it took nearly a decade of work before the planet's existence was confirmed in 2019, the Center for Astrophysics said.</p>

<p>Over 13 years, astronomers were able to observe the slow but steady change in the planet's orbit as it crossed the face of its host star.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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Our Sun may appear bountiful as it supports all life on Earth. But even it has a limited life-span. About five billion years from now, the fuel within the Sun will be spent and the Sun will start expanding.

Our Sun may appear bountiful as it supports all life on Earth. But even it has a limited life-span. About five billion years from now, the fuel within the Sun will be spent and the Sun will start expanding. And it will certainly spell doom for planets like Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. However, there are many theories about the grim fate of our Solar System and exactly how the Earth will meet its end (or will it?) is still being discussed in the scientific community. A new observation of a planet spiralling into a dying star may help us understand and predict what can be the Earth's fate when the only star that sustains it begins to die. In a new study published on Monday (December 19), a team of mostly US-based researchers said they hope the doomed exoplanet Kepler-1658b can help shed light on how worlds die as their stars get older. Kepler-1658b, which is 2,600 light years from Earth, is known as a "hot Jupiter" planet. The planet is similar in size to Jupiter. However, it revolves around its dying star in an orbit one-eighth the distance between Mercury and the Sun. This makes it far hotter than Jupiter in our Solar System. Kepler-1658b's orbit around its host star takes less than three days -- and it is getting shorter by around 131 milliseconds a year, according to the study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. "If it continues spiralling towards its star at the observed rate, the planet will collide with its star in less than three million years," said Shreyas Vissapragada, a postdoc at the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and the study's lead author. "This is the first time we've observed direct evidence for a planet spiralling towards its evolved star," he told AFP. So could Earth be heading towards a similar doom? "Death-by-star is a fate thought to await many worlds and could be the Earth's ultimate adios billions of years from now as our Sun grows older," the Center for Astrophysics said in a statement. Vissapragada said that "in five billion years or so, the Sun will evolve into a red giant star". While the tidally-driven processes seen on Kepler-1658b "will drive the decay of the Earth's orbit towards the Sun," that effect could be counter-balanced by the Sun losing mass, he said. "The ultimate fate of the Earth is somewhat unclear," he added. Kepler-1658b was the first exoplanet ever observed by the Kepler space telescope, which launched in 2009. However it took nearly a decade of work before the planet's existence was confirmed in 2019, the Center for Astrophysics said. Over 13 years, astronomers were able to observe the slow but steady change in the planet's orbit as it crossed the face of its host star. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

A planet spiralling into dying star may tell us about how Earth will be destroyed

<p>NASA on Monday (September 26) announced that Jupiter is making its closest approach to Earth in 59 years.</p>

<p>If stargazers look towards Jupiter in the night sky this week with their binoculars or&nbsp;telescopes, they are in for a treat as per the US space agency.</p>

<p>University of Southern Queensland astrophysics professor Jonti Horner believes that Jupiter is rising at sunset and setting at sunrise and is pretty much opposite the sun in the sky.</p>

<p>Making Jupiter appear bigger and brighter than any other time of the year, this happens once in every 13 months.</p>

<p>Since 1963, the Earth is at its closest to Jupiter which will make for an "extraordinary" view as per NASA.</p>

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<p>While the night sky is also a bit darker than usual, Jupiter's positioned in a dark patch of sky.</p>

<p>Between 12:30 am to 1:30 am (IST) on Tuesday, Jupiter will reach opposition and will be at its brightest in the early hours of the day and during the night.</p>

<p>According to Horner, "It will get a little bit fainter, but we'll get a very good view of it over the next few months."</p>

<p>“It’s important to remember that Galileo observed these moons with 17th-century optics. One of the key needs will be a stable mount for whatever system you use,” said&nbsp;Adam Kobelski, a research astrophysicist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.&nbsp;</p>

<p>To look at it, people need to have their backs against the sun and look at the horizon at sunset. But at sunrise, they need to be looking in the opposite direction of the rising sun.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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NASA on Monday (September 26) announced that Jupiter is making its closest approach to Earth in 59 years. If stargazers look towards Jupiter in the night sky this week with their binoculars or telescopes, they are in for a treat as per the US space agency.

NASA on Monday (September 26) announced that Jupiter is making its closest approach to Earth in 59 years. If stargazers look towards Jupiter in the night sky this week with their binoculars or telescopes, they are in for a treat as per the US space agency. University of Southern Queensland astrophysics professor Jonti Horner believes that Jupiter is rising at sunset and setting at sunrise and is pretty much opposite the sun in the sky. Making Jupiter appear bigger and brighter than any other time of the year, this happens once in every 13 months. Since 1963, the Earth is at its closest to Jupiter which will make for an "extraordinary" view as per NASA. × While the night sky is also a bit darker than usual, Jupiter's positioned in a dark patch of sky. Between 12:30 am to 1:30 am (IST) on Tuesday, Jupiter will reach opposition and will be at its brightest in the early hours of the day and during the night. According to Horner, "It will get a little bit fainter, but we'll get a very good view of it over the next few months." “It’s important to remember that Galileo observed these moons with 17th-century optics. One of the key needs will be a stable mount for whatever system you use,” said Adam Kobelski, a research astrophysicist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. To look at it, people need to have their backs against the sun and look at the horizon at sunset. But at sunrise, they need to be looking in the opposite direction of the rising sun. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here: ×

NASA says Earth making its closest approach to Jupiter. Here's how to see it

<p>Jupiter, the gas giant of our Solar System is perhaps the reason why Earth is safe and sound. Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System and gobbles up many space rocks that are on the way towards inner Solar System, that is, Earth's neighbourhood.</p>

<p>An opportunity to observe this gentle giant in clearest manner possible is just around the corner. This is because planet Jupiter is going to come closest to Earth in last 70 years.</p>

<p>The closest approach is going to take place on September 26, says NASA.</p>

<p>"Stargazers can expect excellent views of Jupiter the entire night of Monday, Sept. 26 when the giant planet reaches opposition," said NASA in a blog post.</p>

<p>An 'opposition' happens, from Earth's viewpoint, when a celestial object rises in East as the Sun sets in the West. This puts the Sun and the object exactly opposite to each other.</p>

<p>Jupiter's opposition happens every 13 months. At this time the planet appears brighter and larger than usual.</p>

<p>“But that’s not all. Jupiter will also make its closest approach to Earth in the last 70 years!," NASA said.</p>

<p>This time, Jupiter's opposition has coincided with its closest approach to Earth. This is something rare.</p>

<p>Jupiter will be 365 million miles from Earth at the time of its closet approach.</p>

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Jupiter, the gas giant of our Solar System is perhaps the reason why Earth is safe and sound. Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System and gobbles up many space rocks that are on the way towards inner Solar System, that is, Earth's neighbourhood.

Jupiter, the gas giant of our Solar System is perhaps the reason why Earth is safe and sound. Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System and gobbles up many space rocks that are on the way towards inner Solar System, that is, Earth's neighbourhood. An opportunity to observe this gentle giant in clearest manner possible is just around the corner. This is because planet Jupiter is going to come closest to Earth in last 70 years. The closest approach is going to take place on September 26, says NASA. "Stargazers can expect excellent views of Jupiter the entire night of Monday, Sept. 26 when the giant planet reaches opposition," said NASA in a blog post. An 'opposition' happens, from Earth's viewpoint, when a celestial object rises in East as the Sun sets in the West. This puts the Sun and the object exactly opposite to each other. Jupiter's opposition happens every 13 months. At this time the planet appears brighter and larger than usual. “But that’s not all. Jupiter will also make its closest approach to Earth in the last 70 years!," NASA said. This time, Jupiter's opposition has coincided with its closest approach to Earth. This is something rare. Jupiter will be 365 million miles from Earth at the time of its closet approach. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Jupiter's closest approach to Earth in 70 years is due this month

<p>Jupiter is not just one massive blob of gas in the Solar System. It's much more than that. Jupiter absorbs many space-rocks travelling towards the inner Solar System, the Earth's neighbourhood. This means that Jupiter may have saved us countless times. Dinosaurs got unlucky, it seems.</p>

<p>But now, a new study says that if Jupiter was to tweak its orbit a bit, it would increase habitability on planet Earth.</p>

<p>Jupiter's orbit around the Sun is almost completely circular. This is not true about other planets including Earth. Their orbits are 'eccentric', that is, they are oval-shaped. The degree to which orbit of a planet tends to assume oval shape is called eccentricity.</p>

<p>The eccentricity of Jupiter's orbit is low because it is nearly circular. It is quite logical to imagine that if Jupiter's orbit is tweaked in any manner, the planet with massive gravity will have an effect on orbits of other planets in the Solar System</p>

<p>Researchers from University of California, Riverside have published a study in which they say that if Jupiter's orbit becomes 'eccentric', it may have a positive impact on the habitability on Earth.</p>

<p>“Many are convinced that Earth is the epitome of a habitable planet and that any change in Jupiter’s orbit, being the massive planet it is, could only be bad for Earth,” says Pam Vervoort, lead author of the study</p>

<p>“We show that both assumptions are wrong.”</p>

<p>The study says that the change in Jupiter's orbit would change the eccentricity of orbit of the Earth. This would result in melting of ice to some extent and these regions would be more habitable.</p>

<p>The study has been published in The Astronomical Journal.</p>

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Jupiter is not just one massive blob of gas in the Solar System. It's much more than that. Jupiter absorbs many space-rocks travelling towards the inner Solar System, the Earth's neighbourhood.

Jupiter is not just one massive blob of gas in the Solar System. It's much more than that. Jupiter absorbs many space-rocks travelling towards the inner Solar System, the Earth's neighbourhood. This means that Jupiter may have saved us countless times. Dinosaurs got unlucky, it seems. But now, a new study says that if Jupiter was to tweak its orbit a bit, it would increase habitability on planet Earth. Jupiter's orbit around the Sun is almost completely circular. This is not true about other planets including Earth. Their orbits are 'eccentric', that is, they are oval-shaped. The degree to which orbit of a planet tends to assume oval shape is called eccentricity. The eccentricity of Jupiter's orbit is low because it is nearly circular. It is quite logical to imagine that if Jupiter's orbit is tweaked in any manner, the planet with massive gravity will have an effect on orbits of other planets in the Solar System Researchers from University of California, Riverside have published a study in which they say that if Jupiter's orbit becomes 'eccentric', it may have a positive impact on the habitability on Earth. “Many are convinced that Earth is the epitome of a habitable planet and that any change in Jupiter’s orbit, being the massive planet it is, could only be bad for Earth,” says Pam Vervoort, lead author of the study “We show that both assumptions are wrong.” The study says that the change in Jupiter's orbit would change the eccentricity of orbit of the Earth. This would result in melting of ice to some extent and these regions would be more habitable. The study has been published in The Astronomical Journal. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Tweak in Jupiter's orbit may help life on Earth: Study

NASA's James Webb telescope has captured breathtaking photos of Jupiter. The giant planet is seen in blue, green, white and orange hues. The telescope has also captured some 'photobombing' galaxies. Palki Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas: Breathtaking photos of Jupiter as captured by James Webb telescope

<p>NASA has released new images of the planet Jupiter, taken by James Webb Space Telescope. The images, captured by the telescope's near-infrared camera, which uses infrared radiation to detect objects in space, show the planet's structure in extreme detail and might offer a window into what is happening on the planet.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">1. Make way for the king of the solar system! 👑<br />
<br />
New Webb images of Jupiter highlight the planet's features, including its turbulent Great Red Spot (shown in white here), in amazing detail. These images were processed by citizen scientist Judy Schmidt: <a href="https://t.co/gwxZOitCE3">https://t.co/gwxZOitCE3</a> <a href="https://t.co/saz0u61kJG">pic.twitter.com/saz0u61kJG</a></p>
— NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAWebb/status/1561688252272222216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>“We hadn’t really expected it to be this good, to be honest, “It’s really remarkable that we can see details on Jupiter together with its rings, tiny satellites, and even galaxies in one image,” planetary astronomer Imke de Pater, professor emerita of the University of California, Berkeley, said.</p>

<p>One image shows the largest planet in our solar system against "the black background of space". We also see swirls of different colours that indicate the turbulent atmosphere on Jupiter. You can also see Jupiter's Northern and Southern Auroras which can be seen as bright orange glows at the top and bottom of the planet.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Check out the bright waves, swirls, and vortices in Jupiter’s atmosphere — as well as the dark ring system, one million times fainter than the planet! Two moons of Jupiter, including one that’s only about 12 miles (20 km) across, are on the left. <a href="https://t.co/o7XYOMdsq5">pic.twitter.com/o7XYOMdsq5</a></p>
— NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAWebb/status/1561688261143166976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The famous Great Red Spot is also visible but is seen as white as it is reflecting sunlight and is at a high altitude.</p>

<p>A wider view of Jupiter can be seen in the second image. The rings are also visible, which the space agency says are a million times fainter than the planet. Jupiter's moons, Adrastea and Amalthea, located to the far left of the rings can also be seen in the image.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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NASA has released new images of the planet Jupiter, taken by James Webb Space Telescope. The images, captured by the telescope's near-infrared camera, which uses infrared radiation to detect objects in space, show the planet's structure in extreme detail and might offer a window into what is happening on the planet.

NASA has released new images of the planet Jupiter, taken by James Webb Space Telescope. The images, captured by the telescope's near-infrared camera, which uses infrared radiation to detect objects in space, show the planet's structure in extreme detail and might offer a window into what is happening on the planet. 1. Make way for the king of the solar system! 👑 New Webb images of Jupiter highlight the planet's features, including its turbulent Great Red Spot (shown in white here), in amazing detail. These images were processed by citizen scientist Judy Schmidt: https://t.co/gwxZOitCE3 pic.twitter.com/saz0u61kJG — NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) August 22, 2022 × “We hadn’t really expected it to be this good, to be honest, “It’s really remarkable that we can see details on Jupiter together with its rings, tiny satellites, and even galaxies in one image,” planetary astronomer Imke de Pater, professor emerita of the University of California, Berkeley, said. One image shows the largest planet in our solar system against "the black background of space". We also see swirls of different colours that indicate the turbulent atmosphere on Jupiter. You can also see Jupiter's Northern and Southern Auroras which can be seen as bright orange glows at the top and bottom of the planet. Check out the bright waves, swirls, and vortices in Jupiter’s atmosphere — as well as the dark ring system, one million times fainter than the planet! Two moons of Jupiter, including one that’s only about 12 miles (20 km) across, are on the left. pic.twitter.com/o7XYOMdsq5 — NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) August 22, 2022 × The famous Great Red Spot is also visible but is seen as white as it is reflecting sunlight and is at a high altitude. A wider view of Jupiter can be seen in the second image. The rings are also visible, which the space agency says are a million times fainter than the planet. Jupiter's moons, Adrastea and Amalthea, located to the far left of the rings can also be seen in the image. (With inputs from agencies)

Mind-blowing images of Jupiter taken by James Webb telescope released by NASA

<p>The hunt for alien life has been a strong pursuit for scientists over the years and it looks like Jupiter’s second Galilean Moon – Europa – can hold some significant answers.</p>

<p>According to studies conducted by NASA in the last few years, Europa was found to have an icy crust and an inner system of oceans which can be crucial in supporting life.</p>

<p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/explainer-why-dodge-decided-to-shut-shop-on-its-muscles-cars-507351">Explainer: Why Dodge decided to shut shop on its muscle cars</a></p>

<p>The moon has been a subject of study since the 1970s and Alyssa Rhoden, a principal scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in Colorado, told The Independent that the ocean water can "somehow moves through the shell and reaches the surface".</p>

<p>"I started researching Europa 22 years ago, and I’ve had the same images to work with the entire time. So, I would say I am EXTREMELY excited for the new data sets that will be delivered by Clipper. As for habitability, there are probably many ways it will inform habitability, but what I am most interested to see is evidence of liquid water within the ice shell," he explained.</p>

<p>As a result, there has been speculation that the moon of Jupiter can actually be a habitable place in the universe. Michael Manga, a geophysicist and professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Science at UC Berkeley, also supported the theory as he said that Europa is quite similar to Earth.</p>

<p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/this-bionic-arm-can-be-updated-with-new-gestures-anytime-and-anywhere-507409" hreflang="en">This bionic arm can be updated with new gestures anytime and anywhere</a></p>

<p>"Its evolution and dynamics are fascinating, some similarities but also fundamental differences from Earth," he told Universe Today while speaking about the possibility of alien life.</p>

<p>The theories will be further put to test in the near future as NASA will be launching the Europa Clipper in 2024 and the data received can be crucial to expanding on the existing studies.</p>


The hunt for alien life has been a strong pursuit for scientists over the years and it looks like Jupiter’s second Galilean Moon – Europa – can hold some significant answers.

The hunt for alien life has been a strong pursuit for scientists over the years and it looks like Jupiter’s second Galilean Moon – Europa – can hold some significant answers. According to studies conducted by NASA in the last few years, Europa was found to have an icy crust and an inner system of oceans which can be crucial in supporting life. Also read | Explainer: Why Dodge decided to shut shop on its muscle cars The moon has been a subject of study since the 1970s and Alyssa Rhoden, a principal scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in Colorado, told The Independent that the ocean water can "somehow moves through the shell and reaches the surface". "I started researching Europa 22 years ago, and I’ve had the same images to work with the entire time. So, I would say I am EXTREMELY excited for the new data sets that will be delivered by Clipper. As for habitability, there are probably many ways it will inform habitability, but what I am most interested to see is evidence of liquid water within the ice shell," he explained. As a result, there has been speculation that the moon of Jupiter can actually be a habitable place in the universe. Michael Manga, a geophysicist and professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Science at UC Berkeley, also supported the theory as he said that Europa is quite similar to Earth. Also read | This bionic arm can be updated with new gestures anytime and anywhere "Its evolution and dynamics are fascinating, some similarities but also fundamental differences from Earth," he told Universe Today while speaking about the possibility of alien life. The theories will be further put to test in the near future as NASA will be launching the Europa Clipper in 2024 and the data received can be crucial to expanding on the existing studies.

Jupiter’s moon Europa could hold the answer to finding alien life

<p>What distinguishes Saturn from the rest of the planets in our Solar System are the majestic rings the planet has. These rings are so prominent, they are visible from amateur telescopes as well. The planet sure gets a regal look due to it. But what is stopping from all planets to have such a ring? size? Saturn is a giant planet in our Solar System. But so is Jupiter, in fact, Jupiter is bigger than Saturn, then why it does not have Saturn-like rings?</p>

<p>A recent study from the University of California, Riverside (UCR) throws light on the reason why Jupiter does not have Saturn-like rings. Findings of this study were reported in the journal Planetary Science.</p>

<p>UCR astrophysicist Stephen Kane led the study along with his student. Together, they ran a simulation. Into the simulation, they fed info about orbits of Jupiter's four moons and the orbit of the planet itself. They also fed information about how much time it takes to form rings around the planet.</p>

<p>Kane found that the reason why Jupiter could not form Saturn-like moon was its moons. Jupiter has four main moons that were discovered by Galileo.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-posts-colourful-pic-of-pluto-wows-netizens-499450">NASA posts colourful pic of Pluto, wows netizens</a></strong></p>

<p>We found that the Galilean moons of Jupiter, one of which is the largest moon in our solar system, would very quickly destroy any large rings that might form," Kane said.</p>

<p>So based on this research, it can be said that Jupiter did not have Saturn-like rings even in its past.</p>

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What distinguishes Saturn from the rest of the planets in our Solar System are the majestic rings the planet has. These rings are so prominent, they are visible from amateur telescopes as well.

What distinguishes Saturn from the rest of the planets in our Solar System are the majestic rings the planet has. These rings are so prominent, they are visible from amateur telescopes as well. The planet sure gets a regal look due to it. But what is stopping from all planets to have such a ring? size? Saturn is a giant planet in our Solar System. But so is Jupiter, in fact, Jupiter is bigger than Saturn, then why it does not have Saturn-like rings? A recent study from the University of California, Riverside (UCR) throws light on the reason why Jupiter does not have Saturn-like rings. Findings of this study were reported in the journal Planetary Science. UCR astrophysicist Stephen Kane led the study along with his student. Together, they ran a simulation. Into the simulation, they fed info about orbits of Jupiter's four moons and the orbit of the planet itself. They also fed information about how much time it takes to form rings around the planet. Kane found that the reason why Jupiter could not form Saturn-like moon was its moons. Jupiter has four main moons that were discovered by Galileo. Also Read | NASA posts colourful pic of Pluto, wows netizens We found that the Galilean moons of Jupiter, one of which is the largest moon in our solar system, would very quickly destroy any large rings that might form," Kane said. So based on this research, it can be said that Jupiter did not have Saturn-like rings even in its past. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Why doesn't Jupiter have Saturn-like rings? Here's the answer

<p>James Webb Space Telescope is humanity's latest eye in the sky. The most powerful telescope ever built by humankind has officially started working and has its sights set on farthest corners of the Universe never seen before. The first image from the telescope has wowed everyone across the globe. The subsequent images were mesmerising as well.</p>

<p>But another unique image has now been released by NASA. It is of the planet Jupiter. The enormous gas giant in our Solar System has been clicked by James Webb Space Telescope. But the image shows Jupiter a bit differently. Usual pictures of Jupiter show the planet in reddish hue. But in this picture, the gas giant appears white-hot.</p>

<p>That is because the image has been taken in Infrared frequencies.</p>

<p>The photo was taken before the space telescope became fully functional.</p>

<p>"These images are designed for engineering purposes, so they aren’t processed in the same way as our first images this week. Like some earlier calibration images, these are processed to emphasize certain features," said NASA in its tweet.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">These images are designed for engineering purposes, so they aren’t processed in the same way as our first images this week. Like some earlier calibration images, these are processed to emphasize certain features. <a href="https://t.co/t1tSXyscrM">pic.twitter.com/t1tSXyscrM</a></p>
— NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAWebb/status/1547686575265312771?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Combined with the deep field images released the other day, these images of Jupiter demonstrate the full grasp of what Webb can observe, from the faintest, most distant observable galaxies to planets in our own cosmic backyard that you can see with the naked eye from your actual backyard,” said Bryan Holler, a scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. Holler was quoted by NASA.</p>

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James Webb Space Telescope is humanity's latest eye in the sky. The most powerful telescope ever built by humankind has officially started working and has its sights set on farthest corners of the Universe never seen before.

James Webb Space Telescope is humanity's latest eye in the sky. The most powerful telescope ever built by humankind has officially started working and has its sights set on farthest corners of the Universe never seen before. The first image from the telescope has wowed everyone across the globe. The subsequent images were mesmerising as well. But another unique image has now been released by NASA. It is of the planet Jupiter. The enormous gas giant in our Solar System has been clicked by James Webb Space Telescope. But the image shows Jupiter a bit differently. Usual pictures of Jupiter show the planet in reddish hue. But in this picture, the gas giant appears white-hot. That is because the image has been taken in Infrared frequencies. The photo was taken before the space telescope became fully functional. "These images are designed for engineering purposes, so they aren’t processed in the same way as our first images this week. Like some earlier calibration images, these are processed to emphasize certain features," said NASA in its tweet. These images are designed for engineering purposes, so they aren’t processed in the same way as our first images this week. Like some earlier calibration images, these are processed to emphasize certain features. pic.twitter.com/t1tSXyscrM — NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) July 14, 2022 × “Combined with the deep field images released the other day, these images of Jupiter demonstrate the full grasp of what Webb can observe, from the faintest, most distant observable galaxies to planets in our own cosmic backyard that you can see with the naked eye from your actual backyard,” said Bryan Holler, a scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. Holler was quoted by NASA. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

James Webb telescope clicks Jupiter in its Infrared glory

<p>There have been several space missions to study how Moon, Marth, Sun and our galaxy were formed, but seldom there are any that have unravelled the mysteries on the origin of the giant planet.</p>

<p>A recent study has found out that there is a reason why Jupiter is dubbed as the biggest planet in our solar system. Turns out it achieved this gigantic size (300 times bigger than Earth) by consuming other small planets.</p>

<p>By studying the gravitational data collected by NASA’s Juna space probe, and the makeup of the rocky material at the gas giant’s core, the scientists suggested that Jupiter ate baby planets—often called planetesimals—to fuel its growth.</p>

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<p>This theory was propounded by an international team of astronomers led by Yamila Miguel from the SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research. They published their article in the journal Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics last week.</p>

<p>"Jupiter was one of the first planets to form in our&nbsp;solar system. However, we know almost nothing for certain about how it formed," Yamila Miguel, an astrophysicist at Leiden University in The Netherlands, told Live Science.</p>

<p>"Juno provided very accurate gravity data that helped us to constrain the distribution of the material in Jupiter's interior... It is very unique data that we can only get with a spacecraft orbiting around the planet," she added.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-shares-breathtaking-close-up-clip-of-jupiter-taken-from-juno-spacecraft-watch-484955">NASA shares breathtaking close-up clip of Jupiter from Juno spacecraft. Watch!</a></p>

<p>Jupiter may predominantly be a ball of swirling gas today, but it started its life by accreting rocky material — just like every other planet in the solar system.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/whats-that-giant-black-spot-on-jupiter-473836">What's that giant black spot on Jupiter?</a></p>

<p>As the planet's&nbsp;gravity&nbsp;pulled in more and more rocks, the rocky core became so dense that it started pulling in large amounts of gas from far distances — predominantly hydrogen and helium left over from the&nbsp;sun's birth — to form its enormous gas-filled atmosphere.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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There have been several space missions to study how Moon, Marth, Sun and our galaxy were formed, but seldom there are any that have unravelled the mysteries on the origin of the giant planet.

There have been several space missions to study how Moon, Marth, Sun and our galaxy were formed, but seldom there are any that have unravelled the mysteries on the origin of the giant planet. A recent study has found out that there is a reason why Jupiter is dubbed as the biggest planet in our solar system. Turns out it achieved this gigantic size (300 times bigger than Earth) by consuming other small planets. By studying the gravitational data collected by NASA’s Juna space probe, and the makeup of the rocky material at the gas giant’s core, the scientists suggested that Jupiter ate baby planets—often called planetesimals—to fuel its growth. × This theory was propounded by an international team of astronomers led by Yamila Miguel from the SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research. They published their article in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics last week. "Jupiter was one of the first planets to form in our solar system. However, we know almost nothing for certain about how it formed," Yamila Miguel, an astrophysicist at Leiden University in The Netherlands, told Live Science. "Juno provided very accurate gravity data that helped us to constrain the distribution of the material in Jupiter's interior... It is very unique data that we can only get with a spacecraft orbiting around the planet," she added. Also read | NASA shares breathtaking close-up clip of Jupiter from Juno spacecraft. Watch! Jupiter may predominantly be a ball of swirling gas today, but it started its life by accreting rocky material — just like every other planet in the solar system. Also read | What's that giant black spot on Jupiter? As the planet's gravity pulled in more and more rocks, the rocky core became so dense that it started pulling in large amounts of gas from far distances — predominantly hydrogen and helium left over from the sun's birth — to form its enormous gas-filled atmosphere. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Scientists claim Jupiter became big after eating small planets

The discovery was made as a result of the first clear picture of the chemistry beneath the opaque outer atmosphere of the largest planet, according to a study that was published online in the journal of Astronomy and Astrophysics.

Jupiter consumes other planets? What this new research has revealed

<p>You may have seen various photos of Jupiter taken from a distant telescope from Earth. But have you ever seen the mighty planet up close? NASA has released new footage of Jupiter that was taken by the Juno spacecraft that has been hovering over the gas giant since 2016. The US agency has shared an incredible animated sequence created by citizen scientist Andrea Luck using raw JunoCam image data. This clip shows a close shot of the giant planet when the spacecraft flew just 2,050 miles (3,300 kilometres) above the&nbsp;gas giant's cloud tops on April 9.</p>

<p>This was Juno's 41st flyby above the radiation-spewing planet, during which the spacecraft soared at a top speed of 131,000 mph (210,000 km/h) relative to Jupiter, NASA said on May 27.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Cloud surfing on Jupiter with NASA's Juno spacecraft. ☁️<br />
<br />
On April 9, 2022, as the Juno mission completed its 41st close flyby of Jupiter, its JunoCam instrument captured what it would look like to ride along with the spacecraft.<br />
<br />
Learn more HERE: <a href="https://t.co/QR8OQx6yVu">https://t.co/QR8OQx6yVu</a> <a href="https://t.co/Lwiwj7CvGe">pic.twitter.com/Lwiwj7CvGe</a></p>
— NASA Marshall (@NASA_Marshall) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA_Marshall/status/1531735055017689088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>That's more than seven times faster than the speed of the&nbsp;International Space Station&nbsp;orbits Earth and about five times faster than the crewed&nbsp;Apollo missions&nbsp;were travelling as they left&nbsp;Earth&nbsp;for&nbsp;the moon, NASA officials said in the statement.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/epitome-of-hell-on-earth-nasa-to-study-unique-exoplanet-55-cancri-e-484291" hreflang="en">Epitome of 'hell on earth’: NASA to study unique exoplanet '55 Cancri e' &nbsp;</a></p>

<p>Though Juno was initially targeted to cover only Jupiter, NASA in January 2021 announced that it is extending the mission's mandate to focus a little more closely on the planet's four large moons, especially Ganymede, Europa&nbsp;and Io. Juno spacecraft is expected to run until September 2025.</p>

<p><strong>Also see |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/dazzling-tau-herculid-meteor-shower-lights-up-sky-check-out-the-amazing-photos-484033" hreflang="en">Dazzling tau Herculids meteor shower lights up sky. Check out these amazing photos</a></p>

<p>"With the extended mission, we will answer fundamental questions that arose during Juno's prime mission while reaching beyond the planet to explore Jupiter’s ring system and Galilean satellites," principal investigator Scott Bolton, of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, said in a NASA&nbsp;statement when the extension was announced.</p>

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You may have seen various photos of Jupiter taken from a distant telescope from Earth. But have you ever seen the mighty planet up close? NASA has released new footage of Jupiter that was taken by the Juno spacecraft that has been hovering over the gas giant since 2016.

You may have seen various photos of Jupiter taken from a distant telescope from Earth. But have you ever seen the mighty planet up close? NASA has released new footage of Jupiter that was taken by the Juno spacecraft that has been hovering over the gas giant since 2016. The US agency has shared an incredible animated sequence created by citizen scientist Andrea Luck using raw JunoCam image data. This clip shows a close shot of the giant planet when the spacecraft flew just 2,050 miles (3,300 kilometres) above the gas giant's cloud tops on April 9. This was Juno's 41st flyby above the radiation-spewing planet, during which the spacecraft soared at a top speed of 131,000 mph (210,000 km/h) relative to Jupiter, NASA said on May 27. Cloud surfing on Jupiter with NASA's Juno spacecraft. ☁️ On April 9, 2022, as the Juno mission completed its 41st close flyby of Jupiter, its JunoCam instrument captured what it would look like to ride along with the spacecraft. Learn more HERE: https://t.co/QR8OQx6yVu pic.twitter.com/Lwiwj7CvGe — NASA Marshall (@NASA_Marshall) May 31, 2022 × That's more than seven times faster than the speed of the International Space Station orbits Earth and about five times faster than the crewed Apollo missions were travelling as they left Earth for the moon, NASA officials said in the statement. Also read | Epitome of 'hell on earth’: NASA to study unique exoplanet '55 Cancri e' Though Juno was initially targeted to cover only Jupiter, NASA in January 2021 announced that it is extending the mission's mandate to focus a little more closely on the planet's four large moons, especially Ganymede, Europa and Io. Juno spacecraft is expected to run until September 2025. Also see | Dazzling tau Herculids meteor shower lights up sky. Check out these amazing photos "With the extended mission, we will answer fundamental questions that arose during Juno's prime mission while reaching beyond the planet to explore Jupiter’s ring system and Galilean satellites," principal investigator Scott Bolton, of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, said in a NASA statement when the extension was announced. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

NASA shares breathtaking close-up clip of Jupiter from Juno spacecraft. Watch!

<p>For the first time in 18 years, five planets will line up in order from their distance from the Sun and can be spotted with the naked eye. Astronomers are preparing for this amazing heavenly treat. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will line up for those who are willing to get up early on 3-4 June.&nbsp;As per Guardian while It's not unusual to see two or three planets close together, the five visible with the naked eye haven't appeared in sequence since December 2004, as seen from the northern hemisphere.</p>

<p>Speaking to the Guardian, professor Beth Biller, personal chair of exoplanet characterisation at Edinburgh University's Institute of astronomy called it 'really cool'.</p>

<p>She said that this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to view the same thing closer to home, with all five of our solar system's 'naked eye' planets visible at the same time.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-selects-two-companies-to-build-next-generation-lunar-spacesuits-484421" hreflang="en">NASA selects two companies to build next-generation lunar spacesuits</a></strong></p>

<p>The five planets will rise above the horizon in the early hours of Friday. Mercury will be the faintest and very close to the horizon, but is expected to vanish in the sunlight.</p>

<p>‘Your only chance to see all five planets at the same time is during a very narrow window after Mercury has risen but before the sun has,’ Dr Greg Brown of Royal Museums Greenwich told the Guardian.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Greenhouse effect is causing rise in temperatures</strong></p>

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<p>He said that Venus and Jupiter will be the easiest to see, with Venus being visible around 4 am GMT and Mars, Jupiter showing in the horizon from about 2:45 am GMT.</p>

<p>Saturn will rise above the horizon around 1:30 am GMT but would become difficult to see at Twilight.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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For the first time in 18 years, five planets will line up in order from their distance from the Sun and can be spotted with the naked eye. Astronomers are preparing for this amazing heavenly treat.

For the first time in 18 years, five planets will line up in order from their distance from the Sun and can be spotted with the naked eye. Astronomers are preparing for this amazing heavenly treat. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will line up for those who are willing to get up early on 3-4 June. As per Guardian while It's not unusual to see two or three planets close together, the five visible with the naked eye haven't appeared in sequence since December 2004, as seen from the northern hemisphere. Speaking to the Guardian, professor Beth Biller, personal chair of exoplanet characterisation at Edinburgh University's Institute of astronomy called it 'really cool'. She said that this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to view the same thing closer to home, with all five of our solar system's 'naked eye' planets visible at the same time. Also read | NASA selects two companies to build next-generation lunar spacesuits The five planets will rise above the horizon in the early hours of Friday. Mercury will be the faintest and very close to the horizon, but is expected to vanish in the sunlight. ‘Your only chance to see all five planets at the same time is during a very narrow window after Mercury has risen but before the sun has,’ Dr Greg Brown of Royal Museums Greenwich told the Guardian. Watch | Greenhouse effect is causing rise in temperatures He said that Venus and Jupiter will be the easiest to see, with Venus being visible around 4 am GMT and Mars, Jupiter showing in the horizon from about 2:45 am GMT. Saturn will rise above the horizon around 1:30 am GMT but would become difficult to see at Twilight. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION LIVE HERE: You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Get ready for a 'heavenly treat' as 5 planets line up. You don't need any equipment to see it. Here's how

<p>In what can be called a rare celestial spectacle, the solar system’s two brightest planets, Jupiter and Venus, will appear to collide with each other this weekend, said media reports. &nbsp;</p>

<p>But they will actually be millions of miles apart in space. &nbsp;</p>

<p>On Earth, they will appear as if they are going to collide. This planetary conjunction, however, occurs once a year. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/revisiting-prehistoric-era-fossils-of-3-ichthyosaurs-including-giant-tooth-found-in-swiss-alps-says-study-474679" hreflang="en">Revisiting prehistoric era: Fossils of 3 ichthyosaurs including giant tooth found in Swiss Alps, says study</a></strong></p>

<p>These planets will look much closer to stargazers than usual this year. This time, they would also be visible with a pair of binoculars or the naked eye. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">On the morning of April 30th, Jupiter and Venus will appear to collide in the sky as both planets merge into one spectacular glow. Despite looking very close together, the two planets are very far apart in space. Venus is closer to the sun than Earth and Jupiter is farther out. <a href="https://t.co/BIFALMqMnA">pic.twitter.com/BIFALMqMnA</a></p>
— Rev. Dr. Michael T Santini (@michaeltsantini) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaeltsantini/status/1519760368104398848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>What makes it more special is the fact that with these planets, Saturn and Mars will appear to form a straight line. &nbsp;</p>

<p>You may not want to miss it this year as otherwise you will have to wait for another 17 years for it. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Low-cost bionic prosthetics arm equipped with sensors is transforming lives</strong></p>

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<p>So, this would be an extraordinary planetary conjunction, which will be hard to miss. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Although Venus and Jupiter get close to one another every few years, this time there is also Mars and Saturn in the mix which is pretty rare. If you have a telescope, a pair of binoculars or a decent camera, then you’ll get an even better view,” Brad Tucker, astrophysicist, Australian National University told the Guardian. &nbsp;</p>

<p>“The planets will differ in their brightness. Venus is brighter than Jupiter so it will look dazzlingly bright when you see it. Jupiter will be slightly fainter, about one-sixth of the brightness of Venus,” Prof Lucie Green, chief stargazer, Society for Popular Astronomy told BBC News. &nbsp;</p>

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<p><em>(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;</em></p>


In what can be called a rare celestial spectacle, the solar system’s two brightest planets, Jupiter and Venus, will appear to collide with each other this weekend, said media reports.

In what can be called a rare celestial spectacle, the solar system’s two brightest planets, Jupiter and Venus, will appear to collide with each other this weekend, said media reports. But they will actually be millions of miles apart in space. On Earth, they will appear as if they are going to collide. This planetary conjunction, however, occurs once a year. Also Read | Revisiting prehistoric era: Fossils of 3 ichthyosaurs including giant tooth found in Swiss Alps, says study These planets will look much closer to stargazers than usual this year. This time, they would also be visible with a pair of binoculars or the naked eye. On the morning of April 30th, Jupiter and Venus will appear to collide in the sky as both planets merge into one spectacular glow. Despite looking very close together, the two planets are very far apart in space. Venus is closer to the sun than Earth and Jupiter is farther out. pic.twitter.com/BIFALMqMnA — Rev. Dr. Michael T Santini (@michaeltsantini) April 28, 2022 × What makes it more special is the fact that with these planets, Saturn and Mars will appear to form a straight line. You may not want to miss it this year as otherwise you will have to wait for another 17 years for it. Watch: Low-cost bionic prosthetics arm equipped with sensors is transforming lives × So, this would be an extraordinary planetary conjunction, which will be hard to miss. “Although Venus and Jupiter get close to one another every few years, this time there is also Mars and Saturn in the mix which is pretty rare. If you have a telescope, a pair of binoculars or a decent camera, then you’ll get an even better view,” Brad Tucker, astrophysicist, Australian National University told the Guardian. “The planets will differ in their brightness. Venus is brighter than Jupiter so it will look dazzlingly bright when you see it. Jupiter will be slightly fainter, about one-sixth of the brightness of Venus,” Prof Lucie Green, chief stargazer, Society for Popular Astronomy told BBC News. WATCH WION LIVE HERE (With inputs from agencies)

Rare celestial spectacle: Jupiter, Venus to appear to collide with each other, form line with Saturn, Mars

<p>Space is full of mysteries. There is always something unusual lurking out in the deep depths of the mysterious space. With the advancement in technology, space agencies across the world unravel mysteries and theories.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) keeps sharing images and pieces of information to reveal various aspects of space.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Recently, NASA has shared an image on its official Instagram account in which a large and dark shadow can be seen on Jupiter.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/presence-of-alien-tech-on-earth-scientist-wants-to-probe-interstellar-object-lying-in-the-pacific-ocean-473699">Presence of alien tech on Earth? Scientist wants to probe interstellar object 'lying in the Pacific Ocean'</a></strong></p>

<p>The shadow on the left side of the image was apparently cast by Jupiter's moon Ganymede.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA revealed that NASA Solar System Exploration's Juno spacecraft captured the stunning image.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As per the space agency, the image was taken during the mission's 40th close pass by the giant planet on February 25, 2022.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-insight-lander-captures-images-of-sunrise-on-mars-473049">NASA InSight lander captures images of sunrise on Mars</a></strong></p>

<p>NASA also mentioned that Eclipses on Jupiter are more common than what we experience on Earth because the planet has four major moons that often pass between Jupiter and the Sun.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"In just one week, 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," NASA revealed.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Deadly coral disease grips Florida coast, efforts on to restore damaged reef</strong></p>

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<p>NASA said that citizen scientist Thomas Thomopoulos created this enhanced-colour image using raw data from the JunoCam instrument.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"At the time the raw image was taken, the Juno spacecraft was about 71,000 kilometres above Jupiter’s cloud tops, at a latitude of about 55 degrees south, and 15 times closer than Ganymede, which orbits about 1.1 million kilometres away from Jupiter," NASA said.&nbsp;</p>

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Space is full of mysteries. There is always something unusual lurking out in the deep depths of the mysterious space. With the advancement in technology, space agencies across the world unravel mysteries and theories.

Space is full of mysteries. There is always something unusual lurking out in the deep depths of the mysterious space. With the advancement in technology, space agencies across the world unravel mysteries and theories. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) keeps sharing images and pieces of information to reveal various aspects of space. Recently, NASA has shared an image on its official Instagram account in which a large and dark shadow can be seen on Jupiter. ALSO READ | Presence of alien tech on Earth? Scientist wants to probe interstellar object 'lying in the Pacific Ocean' The shadow on the left side of the image was apparently cast by Jupiter's moon Ganymede. NASA revealed that NASA Solar System Exploration's Juno spacecraft captured the stunning image. As per the space agency, the image was taken during the mission's 40th close pass by the giant planet on February 25, 2022. ALSO READ | NASA InSight lander captures images of sunrise on Mars NASA also mentioned that Eclipses on Jupiter are more common than what we experience on Earth because the planet has four major moons that often pass between Jupiter and the Sun. "In just one week, 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," NASA revealed. WATCH | Deadly coral disease grips Florida coast, efforts on to restore damaged reef × NASA said that citizen scientist Thomas Thomopoulos created this enhanced-colour image using raw data from the JunoCam instrument. "At the time the raw image was taken, the Juno spacecraft was about 71,000 kilometres above Jupiter’s cloud tops, at a latitude of about 55 degrees south, and 15 times closer than Ganymede, which orbits about 1.1 million kilometres away from Jupiter," NASA said. ×

What's that giant black spot on Jupiter?

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<p>It is a known fact that Jupiter's moon Europa is considered a prime candidate for extraterrestrial habitability in our solar system. Jupiter has a lot of moons but if we talk about Europa, it is the smallest of the four Galilean moons orbiting Jupiter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Europa, which was discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei, is said to be the sixth-closest to the planet of all the moons (nearly 80) of Jupiter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Two Voyager spacecraft by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) flew by Europa in the late 1970s and found strong evidence of a global liquid water ocean that is apparently beneath its icy shell.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, studying the samples of water is slightly difficult for scientists due to the thickness of the icy crust, which is perhaps as thick as 30 kilometres.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/heres-what-happened-to-moons-surface-when-a-massive-asteroid-slammed-into-it-over-43-billion-years-ago-472207">Here's what happened to Moon's surface when a massive asteroid slammed into it over 4.3 billion years ago</a></strong></p>

<p>The knowledge of such a thick icy crust previously suggested that it might be difficult to study and analyse the ocean and it might be out of reach of future space missions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, in a breakthrough, a new study published on Tuesday (April 19) in the journal&nbsp;<em>Nature Communications&nbsp;</em>suggests there is potentially another path to sampling the deep waters of Europa.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The study noted that the thickness and thermophysical structure of this ice shell is poorly constrained. The detailed structure and dynamics are critical for "understanding both the fundamental geophysical processes and habitability of Europa".&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/sun-blasted-mercury-with-a-plasma-wave-what-does-it-mean-for-mercurys-atmosphere-471736">Sun blasted Mercury with a plasma wave. What does it mean for Mercury's atmosphere?</a></strong></p>

<p>"Double ridges are the most common surface feature on Europa and occur across every sector of the moon, but their formation is poorly understood, with current hypotheses providing competing and incomplete mechanisms for the development of their distinct morphology," a part of the study noted.&nbsp;</p>

<p>To explain it, scientists presented the discovery and analysis of a double ridge in Northwest Greenland with the same gravity-scaled geometry as those found on Europa.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The study noted that using surface elevation and radar sounding data, it has been observed that the double ridge was formed by successive refreezing, pressurisation and fracture of a shallow water sill within the ice sheet.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And as per the scientists, if the same process is responsible for Europa's double ridges, then the findings of the study hint that shallow liquid water is spatially and temporally ubiquitous across Europa's ice shell.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Because it's closer to the surface, where you get interesting chemicals from space, other moons and the volcanoes of Io, there's a possibility that life has a shot if there are pockets of water in the shell. If the mechanism we see in Greenland is how these things happen on Europa, it suggests there's water everywhere," said geophysicist Dustin Schroeder of Stanford University as quoted by Science Alert.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;Expanding problem of space debris: What is space junk? Why is it a problem?</strong></p>

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It is a known fact that Jupiter's moon Europa is considered a prime candidate for extraterrestrial habitability in our solar system. Jupiter has a lot of moons but if we talk about Europa, it is the smallest of the four Galilean moons orbiting Jupiter.

It is a known fact that Jupiter's moon Europa is considered a prime candidate for extraterrestrial habitability in our solar system. Jupiter has a lot of moons but if we talk about Europa, it is the smallest of the four Galilean moons orbiting Jupiter. Europa, which was discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei, is said to be the sixth-closest to the planet of all the moons (nearly 80) of Jupiter. Two Voyager spacecraft by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) flew by Europa in the late 1970s and found strong evidence of a global liquid water ocean that is apparently beneath its icy shell. However, studying the samples of water is slightly difficult for scientists due to the thickness of the icy crust, which is perhaps as thick as 30 kilometres. ALSO READ | Here's what happened to Moon's surface when a massive asteroid slammed into it over 4.3 billion years ago The knowledge of such a thick icy crust previously suggested that it might be difficult to study and analyse the ocean and it might be out of reach of future space missions. However, in a breakthrough, a new study published on Tuesday (April 19) in the journal Nature Communications suggests there is potentially another path to sampling the deep waters of Europa. The study noted that the thickness and thermophysical structure of this ice shell is poorly constrained. The detailed structure and dynamics are critical for "understanding both the fundamental geophysical processes and habitability of Europa". ALSO READ | Sun blasted Mercury with a plasma wave. What does it mean for Mercury's atmosphere? "Double ridges are the most common surface feature on Europa and occur across every sector of the moon, but their formation is poorly understood, with current hypotheses providing competing and incomplete mechanisms for the development of their distinct morphology," a part of the study noted. To explain it, scientists presented the discovery and analysis of a double ridge in Northwest Greenland with the same gravity-scaled geometry as those found on Europa. The study noted that using surface elevation and radar sounding data, it has been observed that the double ridge was formed by successive refreezing, pressurisation and fracture of a shallow water sill within the ice sheet. And as per the scientists, if the same process is responsible for Europa's double ridges, then the findings of the study hint that shallow liquid water is spatially and temporally ubiquitous across Europa's ice shell. "Because it's closer to the surface, where you get interesting chemicals from space, other moons and the volcanoes of Io, there's a possibility that life has a shot if there are pockets of water in the shell. If the mechanism we see in Greenland is how these things happen on Europa, it suggests there's water everywhere," said geophysicist Dustin Schroeder of Stanford University as quoted by Science Alert. ALSO READ | Expanding problem of space debris: What is space junk? Why is it a problem? ×

Breakthrough in search for aliens? What does a habitable ice shell on Jupiter's moon Europa mean?

<p>A treat for the stargazers!&nbsp;</p>

<p>An alignment of four planets in our solar system will appear in the sky this month, a rare phenomenon that attracts skywatchers and space enthusiasts who are keen to witness various celestial events.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The planetary alignment of Mars, Venus, Saturn and Jupiter can be seen not only using telescopes but will be visible to the naked eye.&nbsp;</p>

<p>National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said, "By mid-month, Jupiter is starting to rise in the pre-dawn hour, making for a quartet of planets, strung out in a line across the morning sky."&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/sun-blasted-mercury-with-a-plasma-wave-what-does-it-mean-for-mercurys-atmosphere-471736">Sun blasted Mercury with a plasma wave. What does it mean for Mercury's atmosphere?</a></strong></p>

<p>The space agency stated that at the start of the month of April, Saturn appeared to move toward Mars each day with Venus, Mars and Saturn forming a trio in the southeast before sunrise.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Later, by the mid-month, NASA said that Jupiter started to rise in the pre-dawn hour. The movement made for a quartet of planets seen is a line across the morning sky.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The rare sighting will be easily observed when Jupiter will be high enough above the horizon in the hour before sunrise.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/machine-learning-approach-might-predict-risk-factors-of-conduct-disorder-in-kids-study-471724">Machine-learning approach might predict risk factors of conduct disorder in kids: Study</a></strong></p>

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<p><em>Sky chart showing the close conjunction of Venus and Jupiter before sunrise on April 30. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech</em></p>

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<p>In a report, NASA revealed: "At the beginning of the month, Mars, Venus and Saturn were all visible in the early morning. Now, the trio are joined by Jupiter, and the four planets can be seen by the naked eye in a straight line for the rest of April, as long as city lights don't intrude."&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA revealed that the reason for the rare occurrence is that all of the planet's orbits around the sun lining up. Meanwhile, the space agency also stated that Venus' orbit around the sun is 225 Earth days, while Saturn's is 29 years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The conjunction can be seen across the world in the predawn hours of the morning by looking east or toward the sunrise, NASA informed.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;10 things about China's recent space mission</strong></p>

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A treat for the stargazers! An alignment of four planets in our solar system will appear in the sky this month, a rare phenomenon that attracts skywatchers and space enthusiasts who are keen to witness various celestial events.

A treat for the stargazers! An alignment of four planets in our solar system will appear in the sky this month, a rare phenomenon that attracts skywatchers and space enthusiasts who are keen to witness various celestial events. The planetary alignment of Mars, Venus, Saturn and Jupiter can be seen not only using telescopes but will be visible to the naked eye. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said, "By mid-month, Jupiter is starting to rise in the pre-dawn hour, making for a quartet of planets, strung out in a line across the morning sky." ALSO READ | Sun blasted Mercury with a plasma wave. What does it mean for Mercury's atmosphere? The space agency stated that at the start of the month of April, Saturn appeared to move toward Mars each day with Venus, Mars and Saturn forming a trio in the southeast before sunrise. Later, by the mid-month, NASA said that Jupiter started to rise in the pre-dawn hour. The movement made for a quartet of planets seen is a line across the morning sky. The rare sighting will be easily observed when Jupiter will be high enough above the horizon in the hour before sunrise. ALSO READ | Machine-learning approach might predict risk factors of conduct disorder in kids: Study Sky chart showing the close conjunction of Venus and Jupiter before sunrise on April 30. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech × In a report, NASA revealed: "At the beginning of the month, Mars, Venus and Saturn were all visible in the early morning. Now, the trio are joined by Jupiter, and the four planets can be seen by the naked eye in a straight line for the rest of April, as long as city lights don't intrude." NASA revealed that the reason for the rare occurrence is that all of the planet's orbits around the sun lining up. Meanwhile, the space agency also stated that Venus' orbit around the sun is 225 Earth days, while Saturn's is 29 years. The conjunction can be seen across the world in the predawn hours of the morning by looking east or toward the sunrise, NASA informed. WATCH | 10 things about China's recent space mission ×

Rare sighting as alignment of four planets will be visible through April. Here's how to watch it

<p>Space agency the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has claimed that its Hubble Space Telescope has directly photographed evidence of a Jupiter-like protoplanet formation. As per NASA, the researchers have described it as an "intense and violent process" and the stunning discovery will shed light on the current understanding of planetary formation. As mentioned by the news agency Reuters, the planet is&nbsp;still in the womb.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Such claims about the formation of a planet are nothing new. But the latest discovery will support a long-debated theory for how planets like Jupiter form, called "disk instability."&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA stated that the new world, which is under construction is embedded in a protoplanetary disk of dust and gas with distinct spiral structure swirling around surrounding a young star.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/one-must-shout-to-have-conversation-nasa-finds-sound-travels-slower-on-mars-than-earth-468444">‘One must shout to have conversation’: NASA finds sound travels slower on Mars than Earth</a></strong></p>

<p>The star is estimated to be around two million years old, which is the age of our solar system when planet formation was underway. Important to note that the solar system's age is currently 4.6 billion years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Scientists found that a gas giant orbiting unusually far from its young host star. Gas giants are planets composed mostly of hydrogen and helium, with swirling gases surrounding a smaller solid core.&nbsp;</p>

<p>To the study planet, researchers used the Subaru Telescope located near the summit of an inactive Hawaiian volcano and the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Astrophysicist Thayne Currie of the Subaru Telescope and the NASA-Ames Research Center, said, "We think it is still very early on in its 'birthing' process. Evidence suggests that this is the earliest stage of formation ever observed for a gas giant."&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/meteor-shower-or-rocket-re-entry-blazing-streak-of-light-witnessed-in-night-sky-in-indian-state-467847">Meteor shower or rocket re-entry? Blazing streak of light witnessed in night sky in Indian state</a></strong></p>

<p>Currie, who is the lead author of the study published on Monday (April 4) in the journal Nature Astronomy, also said, "Nature is clever; it can produce planets in a range of different ways."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Scientists have claimed that the newly forming planet, called AB Aurigae b, is probably about nine times more massive than Jupiter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>AB Aurigae b orbits its host star at a whopping distance of 8.6 billion miles. that is over two times farther than Pluto is from our Sun.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Subaru Telescope" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c10a2e45-9eb2-4e3f-98d6-08706c68d3df" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/aurigae.jpg" /></p>

<p><em>Image&nbsp;Credits: Science: NASA, ESA, Thayne Currie (Subaru Telescope, Eureka Scientific Inc.); Image Processing: Thayne Currie (Subaru Telescope, Eureka Scientific Inc.), Alyssa Pagan (STScI).&nbsp;</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: Giant ice volcanoes spotted on Pluto</strong></p>

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<p>As per the data available, about 5,000 planets beyond our solar system, or exoplanets, have been identified.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Planets in the process of formation - called protoplanets - have been observed around only one other star.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA stated that understanding the early days of the formation of Jupiter-like planets provides astronomers with more context into the history of our own solar system.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"This discovery paves the way for future studies of the chemical make-up of protoplanetary disks like AB Aurigae, including with NASA's James Webb Space Telescope," NASA noted.&nbsp;</p>


Space agency the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has claimed that its Hubble Space Telescope has directly photographed evidence of a Jupiter-like protoplanet formation.

Space agency the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has claimed that its Hubble Space Telescope has directly photographed evidence of a Jupiter-like protoplanet formation. As per NASA, the researchers have described it as an "intense and violent process" and the stunning discovery will shed light on the current understanding of planetary formation. As mentioned by the news agency Reuters, the planet is still in the womb. Such claims about the formation of a planet are nothing new. But the latest discovery will support a long-debated theory for how planets like Jupiter form, called "disk instability." NASA stated that the new world, which is under construction is embedded in a protoplanetary disk of dust and gas with distinct spiral structure swirling around surrounding a young star. ALSO READ | ‘One must shout to have conversation’: NASA finds sound travels slower on Mars than Earth The star is estimated to be around two million years old, which is the age of our solar system when planet formation was underway. Important to note that the solar system's age is currently 4.6 billion years. Scientists found that a gas giant orbiting unusually far from its young host star. Gas giants are planets composed mostly of hydrogen and helium, with swirling gases surrounding a smaller solid core. To the study planet, researchers used the Subaru Telescope located near the summit of an inactive Hawaiian volcano and the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope. Astrophysicist Thayne Currie of the Subaru Telescope and the NASA-Ames Research Center, said, "We think it is still very early on in its 'birthing' process. Evidence suggests that this is the earliest stage of formation ever observed for a gas giant." ALSO READ | Meteor shower or rocket re-entry? Blazing streak of light witnessed in night sky in Indian state Currie, who is the lead author of the study published on Monday (April 4) in the journal Nature Astronomy, also said, "Nature is clever; it can produce planets in a range of different ways." Scientists have claimed that the newly forming planet, called AB Aurigae b, is probably about nine times more massive than Jupiter. AB Aurigae b orbits its host star at a whopping distance of 8.6 billion miles. that is over two times farther than Pluto is from our Sun. Image Credits: Science: NASA, ESA, Thayne Currie (Subaru Telescope, Eureka Scientific Inc.); Image Processing: Thayne Currie (Subaru Telescope, Eureka Scientific Inc.), Alyssa Pagan (STScI). WATCH | Gravitas: Giant ice volcanoes spotted on Pluto × As per the data available, about 5,000 planets beyond our solar system, or exoplanets, have been identified. Planets in the process of formation - called protoplanets - have been observed around only one other star. NASA stated that understanding the early days of the formation of Jupiter-like planets provides astronomers with more context into the history of our own solar system. "This discovery paves the way for future studies of the chemical make-up of protoplanetary disks like AB Aurigae, including with NASA's James Webb Space Telescope," NASA noted.

Jupiter-like planet in space? Scientists observe stunning formation of planet that is 'in the womb'

<p>The US-based space agency NASA has shared new images of Jupiter's moons Io and Europa which are beamed back by Juno spacecraft.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The space agency informed that the stunning view of Jupiter's southern hemisphere was captured during Juno mission's 39th close flyby of the planet on January 12, 2022.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The intriguing images of moons Io (left) and Europa (right) can be seen clearly after zooming in on the right portion of the image. The image looks like two more worlds have been revealed in the same frame.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/lucky-for-now-fridge-sized-asteroid-gets-spotted-just-two-hours-before-hitting-earth-says-nasa-464282">Lucky for now? Fridge-sized asteroid gets spotted just two hours before hitting Earth, says NASA</a> &nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>As informed by NASA, the image was taken when Juno spacecraft was about 61,000 kilometres from Jupiter's cloud tops, at a latitude of about 52 degrees south.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA said that the breathtaking image has been created by citizen scientist Andrea Luck using raw data from the JunoCam instrument.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Io is the solar system's most volcanic body, while Europa's icy surface hides a global ocean of liquid water beneath. NASA said that Juno will have an opportunity to capture much more detailed observations of Europa, using several scientific instruments, in September 2022.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/unprecedented-heatwaves-recorded-at-earths-poles-scientists-warn-of-climate-calamity-464304">‘Unprecedented’ heatwaves recorded at Earth’s poles, scientists warn of climate calamity</a></strong></p>

<p><img alt="NASA" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c0f17689-38a4-48e0-89f2-886dc6599eed" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Nasa%20%2811%29.jpg" /></p>

<p><em>Image credit: NASA</em></p>

<p>At this time, the spacecraft makes the closest fly-by of the enigmatic moon in decades. The mission will also make close approaches to Io in late 2023 and early 2024.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The mission is currently expected to end in September 2025. The Juno mission will also make close approaches to Io in late 2023 and early 2024, according to the NASA statement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Juno spacecraft, which entered Jupiter's orbit in 2016, made the last closest flyby to Jupiter's largest Moon Ganymede on June 7.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The flyby was the closest-known since NASA's Galileo spacecraft made its penultimate close approach back on May 20, 2000.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Besides Juno, the future missions to the Jovian system include NASA's Europa Clipper slated for a launch in October 2024 and expected to arrive in April 2030 and European Space Agency's JUpiter ICy moons Explorer [JUICE] mission.&nbsp;</p>

<p>JUICE is planned for launch in 2022 and arrival at Jupiter in 2029.&nbsp;</p>


The US-based space agency NASA has shared new images of Jupiter's moons Io and Europa which are beamed back by Juno spacecraft. The space agency informed that the stunning view of Jupiter's southern hemisphere was captured during Juno mission's 39th close flyby of the planet on January 12, 2022.

The US-based space agency NASA has shared new images of Jupiter's moons Io and Europa which are beamed back by Juno spacecraft. The space agency informed that the stunning view of Jupiter's southern hemisphere was captured during Juno mission's 39th close flyby of the planet on January 12, 2022. The intriguing images of moons Io (left) and Europa (right) can be seen clearly after zooming in on the right portion of the image. The image looks like two more worlds have been revealed in the same frame. ALSO READ | Lucky for now? Fridge-sized asteroid gets spotted just two hours before hitting Earth, says NASA As informed by NASA, the image was taken when Juno spacecraft was about 61,000 kilometres from Jupiter's cloud tops, at a latitude of about 52 degrees south. NASA said that the breathtaking image has been created by citizen scientist Andrea Luck using raw data from the JunoCam instrument. Io is the solar system's most volcanic body, while Europa's icy surface hides a global ocean of liquid water beneath. NASA said that Juno will have an opportunity to capture much more detailed observations of Europa, using several scientific instruments, in September 2022. ALSO READ | ‘Unprecedented’ heatwaves recorded at Earth’s poles, scientists warn of climate calamity Image credit: NASA At this time, the spacecraft makes the closest fly-by of the enigmatic moon in decades. The mission will also make close approaches to Io in late 2023 and early 2024. The mission is currently expected to end in September 2025. The Juno mission will also make close approaches to Io in late 2023 and early 2024, according to the NASA statement. Juno spacecraft, which entered Jupiter's orbit in 2016, made the last closest flyby to Jupiter's largest Moon Ganymede on June 7. The flyby was the closest-known since NASA's Galileo spacecraft made its penultimate close approach back on May 20, 2000. Besides Juno, the future missions to the Jovian system include NASA's Europa Clipper slated for a launch in October 2024 and expected to arrive in April 2030 and European Space Agency's JUpiter ICy moons Explorer [JUICE] mission. JUICE is planned for launch in 2022 and arrival at Jupiter in 2029.

NASA's Juno spacecraft snaps stunning images of Jupiter's moons Io and Europa

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