![]() |
|
![]() |
![]() The Jovian moon, Europa, is the smallest of the four satellites first discovered by Galileo in 1610. Slightly smaller than the Earth's moon, Europa's two-thousand mile diameter however reflects about five times as much light as our Moon. Io: A Moon On Fire ![]() The diameter of Jupiter's volcanic moon, Io, could fit within the footprint of the continental United States--about 2,175 miles across. Compared to the Earth's moon, which is quiet and dark except for reflected sunlight, Io is on fire. |
![]() |
Thirty Four Orbits Later Galileo Checks Out By Jove![]() After orbiting Jupiter 34 times and surviving four times the amount of radiation it was design to withstand, the resilient Galileo spacecraft is finally at the very end of its 14-year mission. To avoid even the most remote possibility of colliding with a pristine moon in the jovian system, the out-of-fuel spacecraft will dive into Jupiter on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2003. Galileo To Taste Jupiter Before Taking Final Plunge ![]() In the end, the Galileo spacecraft will get a taste of Jupiter before taking a final plunge into the planet's crushing atmosphere, ending the mission on Sunday, Sept. 21. The team expects the spacecraft to transmit a few hours of science data in real time leading up to impact. Scientists Bid Farewell To Galileo ![]() One of the most remarkable chapters in the history of planetary exploration will come to end on Sunday 21 September, when NASA's Galileo spacecraft plunges into the dense atmosphere of Jupiter. Lecture Brings Galileo's Travels Into Final Focus ![]() Just a few days before NASA's Galileo mission makes its grand finale, Dr. Rosaly Lopes, a research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., will discuss the legacy of the mission in two free lectures. "Galileo's Odyssey � The Worlds of Jupiter" will be presented Thursday, Sept. 18, at JPL, and Friday, Sept. 19, at Pasadena City College. Historic Galileo Mission Nears End ![]() Following eight years of capturing dramatic images and surprising science from Jupiter and its moons, NASA's Galileo mission draws to a close September 21 with a plunge into Jupiter's atmosphere. Europan Ice Domes Could Be First Place To Look For Life ![]() A new University of Colorado at Boulder study of Jupiter's moon Europa may help explain the origin of the giant ice domes peppering its surface and the implications for discovering evidence of past or present life forms there. A Jovian Load Of New Moons ![]() So far this year, Jupiter has gained 21 new distant satellites, with the most recent announcement of satellite S/2003 J 21 on June 3rd at the annual Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA) meeting in Waterloo (ON). This puts Jupiter far ahead of the all other planets, with 61 known moons. |
NAI Europa Focus Group Visits Arctic Ice-Field![]() In early May, the NAI Europa Focus group took a field trip to the Arctic Ocean ice cap at Barrow, Alaska. The trip was planned and led by Professors Ron Greeley of Arizona State University, the Chair of the Europa Focus Group, and Hajo Eicken of the University of Alaska, an expert on ocean ice and on the Barrow region. The conference's objective was to gain direct experience with sea ice and to look for possible analogues with Jupiter's moon Europa and other icy moons in the outer solar system. Rising Storms Revise Story Of Jupiter's Stripes ![]() Pictures of Jupiter, taken by a NASA spacecraft on its way to Saturn, are flipping at least one long-standing notion about Jupiter upside down. Galileo's Final Months ![]() As usual for the combination of an aging spacecraft and an intensely energetic environment, Jupiter dealt Galileo a temporarily crippling blow during our flyby of Amalthea on Tuesday, November 5, 2002. Cassini Finds Massive Gas Cloud Surrounding Jupiter ![]() Using a sensitive new imaging instrument on NASA's Cassini spacecraft, researchers have discovered a large and surprisingly dense gas cloud, sharing an orbit with Jupiter's icy moon Europa. Kitty Hawk To Galileo: A Century Spent Soaring Cloud Nine ![]() The flight team for NASA's Jupiter-orbiting Galileo spacecraft will cease operations on Friday, Feb. 28 after a final playback of scientific data from the robotic explorer's tape recorder. Galileo Back In Operational Mode After Amalthea Standby ![]() Flight controllers have returned NASA's Galileo spacecraft to normal operation after the spacecraft put itself into a precautionary standby mode about 16 minutes after flying near Jupiter's inner moon Amalthea on Nov. 5. Keck Watches Io Adapt ![]() Routine monitoring of volcanic activity on Jupiter's moon Io, now possible through advanced adaptive optics on the Keck II telescope in Hawaii, has turned up the largest eruption to date on Io's surface or in the solar system. |
CLICK FOR SPACE-TRAVEL HEADLINES EARLIER TODAY |
The contents herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2003 - SpaceDaily. AFP Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |