When searching for the unknown, classic physics wisdom holds that a bigger detector boosts the chances of discovery. A physicist is taking that advice to heart, advancing a bold plan to use none other than Ganymede—Jupiter’s largest moon—as a dark matter detector on an astronomical scale. Dark matter refers to the “invisible” mass that supposedly […]
The ‘Hail Mary’ That Saved NASA’s Juno Camera From Jupiter’s Radiation Hell
NASA’s Juno spacecraft, which launched in 2011 to investigate Jupiter’s origin and evolution, travels through the solar system’s most intense planetary radiation fields. When the spacecraft’s JunoCam—a color, visible-light camera—began to suffer the consequences in December 2023, the mission team back on Earth had to think of a remote fix before they lost their chance […]
Astronomers Detect Entirely New Type of Plasma Wave Above Jupiter’s North Pole
Since entering Jupiter’s orbit in 2016, NASA’s Juno spacecraft has been hard at work unveiling the many mysteries of our solar system’s largest planet. And its latest discovery may be one of the most intriguing yet: an entirely new type of plasma wave near Jupiter’s poles. In a paper published Wednesday in Physical Review Letters, […]
NASA Pulls the Plug on Europa Lander, but Scientists Propose a Plan B
NASA engineers have spent the past decade developing a rugged, partially autonomous lander designed to explore Europa, one of Jupiter’s most intriguing moons. The space agency got cold feet over the project, but engineers are now targeting a new destination for the probe: Enceladus. Europa has long been a prime target in the search for […]
Juno Gave NASA Controllers Quite the Scare During Recent Jupiter Flyby
For nearly a decade, a large probe has braved the harsh Jovian environment to bring us mesmerizing, close-up views of Jupiter and its moons. But sometimes, the gas giant gets the best of it. The Juno mission recently went into an unexpected safe mode during a scheduled flyby of Jupiter, temporarily powering down its science […]
Saturn Secures Its Title as the ‘Moon King’ With Major Haul of New Moons
Saturn just solidified its title as ‘moon king’ with an updated tally of 274 satellites orbiting the gas giant. The record-breaking statistic puts Saturn way ahead of its moon-bearing competitors, as now the ringed planet is officially orbited by almost twice as many moons as all other planets in the solar system combined. An international […]
How to Watch the Rare Planet Parade Twinkle Across the Night Sky
Stargazers are in for a treat as six planets will appear to align together in the night skies, decorating our views of the cosmos for the rest of January and into February. Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune will all be visible side by side, forming a line across the sky, while Mercury will […]