Scientists are examining initial photos snapped by NASA’s Juno spacecraft on its closest pass of Jupiter.

It soared over the swirling cloud tops of the solar system’s largest planet at more than 125,000 miles per hour over the weekend.

The close encounter was the first time the $1.1bn probe had its full suite of cameras and scientific instruments switched on and turned towards the planet as it flew overhead at an altitude of 2,600 miles.

The spacecraft is now on a highly elliptical orbit that takes it far away from Jupiter’s dangerous radiation belts before swinging back in and passing close over the north and south poles that flicker with brilliant aurorae more than 1,000 times brighter than those on Earth.

“We’ll have some amazing orbits and collect some great data, and then as time goes by it will get more and more difficult, but Jupiter is difficult,” said Tom Stallard, an astronomer at Leicester University, home to the UK’s only research team associated with the Juno mission.

The spacecraft will perform 35 more flybys during its primary mission, which is due to end in February 2018 when mission controllers command the probe to plunge into the Jovian clouds, never to be seen again. (Source: The Guardian)

Story Date: August 29, 2016