NASA’s $1 Billion Spacecraft Beams Back The Sharpest Images Of Jupiter—EVER

Juno zoomed past Jupiter, getting really close at just 2,700 miles (4,400 kilometers) above the clouds. It was moving incredibly fast, about 129,000 mph (208,000 km/h), compared to Jupiter. NASA officials confirmed these details. The images it captured are so captivating that I can't take my eyes off them. It's hard to believe they're actually real!

image credit: Artist’s concept of Jupiter’s superstorm / nasa.gov

NASA sent a special spacecraft called Juno to study Jupiter, the biggest planet in our solar system. Juno is unique because it gets its power from the Sun's energy. Its main job is to go around Jupiter in a circular path near its poles and examine how the planet is built. It will also make maps of Jupiter's gravity and magnetic field. By studying Jupiter, scientists can learn more about other big planets they find in space.

The expensive Juno spacecraft, which cost $1 billion, has achieved some amazing things so far. It took a picture of Jupiter's poles for the first time ever, discovered really strange cloud formations, heard and recorded mysterious auroras, and scanned deep into the thick clouds of the planet. It did things that no other spacecraft has done before, and we are very proud of Juno.

Although the main goal of the mission is scientific research, NASA's spacecraft are also known for taking really good photos. Just like the Cassini spacecraft showed us incredible images of Saturn recently, Juno has also captured its fair share of breathtaking pictures. Do you think it's time to give a Pulitzer Prize for Photography to one of these spacecraft?

Juno is the ninth probe from Earth that was sent to Jupiter. It is only the second probe to orbit the planet, but it stands out because it has taken unbelievably beautiful images of the giant gas planet that no one has ever seen before.

Hold my coffee, I can’t stop staring at the images. Is that even real?