Eighty moons of Jupiter are yet to be discovered. Fifty-seven of these moons are named by International Astronomical Union (IAU). And the remaining Twenty-three will be detailed in the future.

Ganymede (Moon):

This is the largest moon in the solar system moons. Juno spacecraft also performed close flybys of Ganymede in 2019 and 2021. Juno Cam imager captured Jupiter’s largest moon Ganymede during Juno’s mission on June 7, 2021. The images can also show smaller craters about 25 to 30 miles (40 to 50 km) wide. Experts believe that Ganymede’s volcanic activity forms these creators.

During its 24th orbit of Jupiter, the Juno spacecraft performed a distant flyby of Ganymede on December 25, 2019. With this flyby, Juno was able to capture images of the moon’s polar regions. Juno performed a second flyby at a closer distance of about 1000 kilometers. This flyby also provided a gravity assist to reduce Juno’s orbital period from 53 days to 43 days. This encounter provided additional images of the surface.

Europa (Moon):

Of the four Galilean moons, Europa is the smallest one. Europa is the sixth closest moon to Jupiter. Along with the water ice, this moon may be covered by an ocean of water or slushy ice beneath. Thus, Europa might have twice as much water as Earth. Astrobiologist believes that Europa might be habitable. The Juno orbiter flew by Europa at a distance of 352 km (219 mi) in 2022.

Io (Moon):

Io (moon) is the innermost and the most geologically active object in the Solar system because of its 400 active volcanos. Due to volcanic eruption this moon’s surface contains sulfur. This sulfur paints the surface in various quiet shades of yellow, red, white, black, and green.

During Perijove 25 on February 17, 2020, Juno closely approached Io. Juno spacecraft is to fly by Io with altitudes of 1,500 kilometers on December 30, 2023, and February 3, 2024. Io’s volcanoes are caused by hot silicate magma.

Callisto (Moon):

Galileo Galilei, an Italian astronomer, physicist, and engineer, discovered Callisto in 1610. Covered with impact craters, the surface of Callisto is the oldest and most heavily cratered in the Solar System. Moreover, Callisto is the second-largest moon of Jupiter and the third-largest moon in the Solar System moons. In the 38th Jovian flyby, Juno captured some gorgeous photos of Callisto.

When did the Juno mission end?

The Juno mission was planned to end after completing 37 orbits in February 2018. The spacecraft orbited Jupiter 12 times before the end of July 2018. NASA’s Juno mission was set back to July 2021.

Juno will continue to investigate the giant planet in our solar system until September 2025, or until the spacecraft’s end of life when this will all is over. To avoid a crash with Jupiter’s moons, the spacecraft will perform a controlled deorbit and disintegrate into Jupiter’s atmosphere. However, NASA has said that the spacecraft will never be back on Earth again.

Published by: Sky Headlines