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IMAGE

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FOR ITS MISSION to study Jupiter’s

composition, magnetic field and other

characteristics, NASA’s Juno probe

technically did not require a camera. But principal

investigator Scott Bolton pushed to have one

on board anyway as an education and public

outreach tool. Plus, he just didn’t want to miss

the views from Jupiter.

Ever since Juno entered the gas giant’s orbit

in 2016, its photos have been uploaded to an

online public gallery where citizen scientists can

download the raw images and process them into

compelling pictures. This image, originally taken

May 19 and produced by German mathematician

Gerald Eichstädt, shows remarkable detail in

Jupiter’s southern polar region (in blue at left).

Planetary geologist Justin Cowart of Stony Brook

University then built on Eichstädt’s picture by

adjusting the color to match how Jupiter appears

through a telescope eyepiece. He also enhanced

other details, like the violent and enormous

storms that blanket the planet.  ERNIE MASTROIANNI

For more on the mission’s findings and the questions

they raise, see “Juno Delivers Jupiter’s Secrets,” page 32.