Jupiter Archives - Keith Shields

Jovian Skies

Juno is a spacecraft that was launched by NASA on August 5, 2011. After a journey of approximately 3 billion kilometers, Juno was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Jupiter on July 4, 2016 where it has been orbiting and carrying out its mission ever since. Its primary mission will last until July of 2018…

Jupiter Through the Eyes of Juno

In August of 2011 a NASA rocket launch occurred. The rocket carried the Juno spacecraft on top of it and hurtled it out into space. Ever since then, Juno has been traveling toward Jupiter. In July of this year (July 4th to be precise), Juno will arrive and settle into an orbit around the…

Europa and the Promise of Life

Just how thick is the ice on Europa? Europa is a water-ice encased moon orbiting around Jupiter and scientists are beginning to ask questions about how they might determine the thickness of this ice. We know that there is water below the ice because geysers that spew water into the tenuous atmosphere above have been…

The Dance of the Planets

(Photo credit: Universe Today) I have continued to enjoy the movements of Venus, Jupiter, and Mars. This particular conjunction of planets has now inspired my imagination for several weeks. Each morning I look to the east around five or six am to see if it is clear enough to see this amazing display. The relative…

Venus, Mars, Regulus, and Jupiter Are Alright Tonight

Starship 21ZNA9 A good friend of mine Studies the stars Venus and Mars Are alright tonight “Venus and Mars” lyrics by Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney; published by MPL Communications, Inc. This morning, as I went for my before-sunrise-run, I was greeted by three planets and a bright star, in the eastern sky. The four…