Earth and Sun

The largest planet in our solar system has its first satellite since the late 90’s! The Juno spacecraft arrived on the 4th of July this year, but has only recently turned on its full array of scientific equipment. The composition of Jupiter reminds us of the sun, but it is not massive enough to be a star. Jupiter is a sort of “star seed”, and probably contains some of the earliest undisturbed matter in the universe. Juno’s unique wide orbit will bring it closer to the surface of Jupiter than any other spacecraft.