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Ganymede is the largest moon of Jupiter and the entire Solar System. Photo: NASA
On August 5, 2021, marked the 10th anniversary since NASA launched the Juno spacecraft on a one-way journey to explore Jupiter, the largest planet in the Solar System. However, it was not until July 2016 that Juno finally reached its destination.
In commemoration of the 10-year service of the Juno spacecraft to Jupiter, NASA shared a photo of Ganymede taken on July 20, 2021, by the Juno spacecraft. The astonishing image revealed new insights into the “icy shell and the composition of the subsurface ocean” of Ganymede.
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Image of Ganymede captured on July 20th by the Juno spacecraft. Photo: NASA
According to NASA, nearly half of Ganymede’s surface consists of dark, crater-filled regions, while the remaining part is characterized by lighter hues and numerous fissures and ridges.
Meanwhile, the unique surface features of Jupiter’s moon are even more noticeable in the image captured on June 7, 2021, below. Complex groove patterns can be clearly observed, possibly resulting from tectonic forces.
After celebrating the 10-year milestone of its mission to explore Jupiter, the next significant moment for the Juno spacecraft will be in September 2022 when it will approach and observe Jupiter’s moon, Europa, up close.
NASA officially extended Juno’s mission until 2025, or in an alternate scenario, the spacecraft may be destroyed before that time if it gets pulled too close by Jupiter’s strong gravitational forces, resulting in its crushing demise.