Track Juno’s position in real time with our 3D solar system simulation: go.nasa.gov/3x1a5kU
The Juno spacecraft continues its approach on the night side of Ganymede.
Current distance to Ganymede: about 16,000 miles (26,000 kilometers).
Speed relative to Ganymede: about 41,000 MPH (66,000 kilometers per hour).
Closing in! Current distance: 6,000 miles (9,600 kilometers). Current speed: 41,300 MPH (66,500 kilometers per hour).
Closest approach! Distance: about 645 miles (1,000 kilometers). Speed: about 41,500 MPH (66,800 kilometers per hour).
It's our first close Ganymede flyby in 20 years! Stay tuned for images & science results. Meanwhile, learn more about the #JunoMission: missionjuno.swri.edu
Departing Ganymede. Next up: a super-close pass over the cloud tops of Jupiter – the 34th of Juno's mission to the giant planet – will take place on June 8.
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On approach! Right now, the #LucyMission spacecraft is about 264 thousand miles (about 425 thousand kilometers) from Earth and closing as it nears its gravity assist flyby. Closest approach will occur at 11:15 p.m. EST (04:15 GMT on Dec. 13). Follow along: eyes.nasa.gov/apps/solar-sys…
The maneuver will put Lucy on a course that will carry it through the main asteroid belt, where it will fly past the unexplored asteroid Donaldjohanson, then onto a Trojan asteroid swarm: go.nasa.gov/4iy7zdV
Getting close now! During the gravity assist, the Lucy spacecraft will approach from the direction of the Sun, which means observers on Earth will not be able to see Lucy approaching, as it will be lost in the Sun’s glare. But observers in certain locations may be able to spot it just before or just after closest approach: lucy.swri.edu/SpotTheSpacecr…
Happy #WorldOceansDay! Or should we say, World(s) Ocean Day? Did you know Earth isn't the only place in our solar system with an ocean of water? Here's a quick tour of just some of the other ocean worlds 🌊 🧵
Evidence suggests that deep below its surface, Saturn's planet-sized moon Titan hides a global ocean of water. NASA's Dragonfly mission, now in development, will send a rotorcraft to fly through Titan's atmosphere. science.nasa.gov/saturn/moons/t…
Another Saturnian moon, Enceladus, has a global ocean of water beneath its crust as well. NASA's Cassini mission made the surprising discovery that water from that ocean shoots out into space from fissures in the surface, making giant plumes of ice particles. science.nasa.gov/saturn/moons/e…
In clear skies, the planet Jupiter will be visible as a brilliant "star" in the east after sunset. With binoculars, the planet's largest moons can be seen as points of light nearby. One of those points is Europa. Within hours, our #JunoMission will be there.🧵 1/6
That little dot is actually a complex, intriguing world. Europa is about size of Earth's Moon. Beneath its cold outer shell of ice, scientists think it hides a global ocean of liquid water. The evidence came from several NASA spacecraft that flew by Jupiter over the years... 2/6
...and one in particular, the Galileo mission, which orbited the planet and observed Europa and its magnetic field up close. solarsystem.nasa.gov/galileo 3/6
To the naked eye, Jupiter will appear as a very bright "star." Here's what it looked like earlier this week as seen through a skylight in a lava tube at Craters of the Moon National Monument.
With a small telescope, or even binoculars, Jupiter's largest moons are also visible. Learn more about the giant planet at solarsystem.nasa.gov/jupiter
It's 2/2/22! For this day of 2️⃣s, here are some iconic pairs in our solar system. Some asteroids come in twos, such as Ida & Dactyl, as seen by the Galileo spacecraft. This year, our #DARTMission will perform its test at another pair, Didymos & Dimorphos: go.nasa.gov/3ofmhes
Two small moons of Saturn, Janus & Epimetheus, share very similar orbits around the planet, and they regularly swap positions. This series of images was captured by Cassini. go.nasa.gov/3giKM6T
Pluto and its largest moon Charon, seen here by the #NewHorizonsMission, are sometimes described as a double planet, since they orbit around the common center of gravity between them. go.nasa.gov/3giWoH0
Luck favors the prepared! The #DARTMission has lifted off to begin its journey to a double asteroid, where it will test techniques to deflect an asteroid if someday one presents a hazard to Earth. Ride along here and at nasa.gov/dart
The #DARTMission spacecraft has separated from the @SpaceX rocket, and is on its way to the Didymos double asteroid system, where it is expected to arrive late next year.