Does Anyone Care About Jupiter?

[mso489]

With all the turmoil below, NASA will orbit a space probe around Jupiter, a probe which will arrive at the sun's largest planet tomorrow, July 4. The scientific data will mostly be from various scientific instruments -- spectrometers and such -- but for public relations purposes, the probe does have a camera that will provide images of the planet. Presumably, major broadcast news sources will carry at least feature reports on the probe, and maybe some will do longer coverage. Thought I'd mention this since I haven't seen a whole bunch of advance information on it and thought Forums might like a brief heads up.

 

[prairiedruid]

Yep tomorrow is the big day where the probe fires its engine to slow down and go into orbit. Juno is the name of the probe and it is quite different from other probes sent to Jupiter. For one it is solar powered instead of nuclear. Since it will be orbiting around the poles instead of the equator it will be going through the strongest parts of Jupiter's magnetic and radiation belts which it will be studying. To keep things from getting fried the main instruments of Juno are protected within a box of 1 inch thick titanium. All NASA can do is wait for the probe to radio home after the engine burn to see if it was a success.

 

[didimauw]

How did I not hear about this?!?!? That's exciting stuff!

 

[puffy]

I care more about diseases that might be treated or cured with the money it costs.

 

[iamn8]

I care about Jupiter.... it's no Uranus, but still a fine ball of gas.
Puffy, it's not an either or thing. Diverting NASA funds does nothing to cure anything. Humanity are explorers and this advanced civilization.

 

[iamn8]

Jupiter was what got me into astrophotography. I bought a new Meade LX90 10in, chose Jupiter on the menu, scope slew to Jupiter and I snapped this by holding my iPhone up to the eyepiece. It was HUGE and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I was expecting a tiny dim pinpoint of light.

Meade posted my photo on their Facebook feed

 

[tuold]

It might make the news budget if no celebrity sneezes.

 

[mso489]

Resources (tax dollars) are always a question. One argument pro-NASA is that a lot of the work siphons back technology that does benefit biotechnology and medical science in that quirky science way, where one thing applies to another. Another argument might be that we have to take these steps while we can since we often don't get back to do it otherwise and the technology actually gets inactive/obsolete. But it's true many human needs remain underfunded.

 

[philobeddoe]

NASA 's budget is minuscule, they aren't diverting any money from disease research. The military eats up and pisses away more than enough money to cure cancer ten times over!

 

[warren]

A rather subjective and provincial observation considering, if there are cures for the many types of cancer it will probably come out of research which is being conducted world wide. My money would be on research in the UK providing many of the solutions in the future as research in America is subject to all sorts of constraints, money not being one of them.
I'm not discounting American ingenuity. More stressing that cancer research is occurring all over the world and we are not necessarily the leader in such. It's rather unfair to blame America for not solving the cancer question.
Nate: Your photos have caused me a bunch of moneys. Now the proud owner of a 10" Celestron with wedge and other assorted, costly accessories. Now, if I could only get a few clear evenings and nights.

 

[iamn8]

Killer warren!!! Welcome to the club! That's a terrific scope and you'll see Jupiter the same way I did. Just wait... It'll blow your mind.

I recommend the podcasts. They help a lot. Awesome Astronomy is my fav.

 

[philobeddoe]

Warren, I believe that you are reading my comment a bit too literally. I was stating that the argument that NASA was siphoning off monies that would otherwise be used for disease research was false. And....that our military spending is so "astronomically " outsized as to the actual threats, that we could use many of those dollars for cancer research....thus hopefully accelerating the time before a cure or more likely many cures are found!

 

[mso489]

Nate, fabulous shot of Jupiter. What a great surprise, after you expected a small spot in the frame. Let's see what the probe can show us from up there.

 

[jerwynn]

I have a great affinity for Jupiter... my children have insisted for decades that I am a gas giant. heh heh

 

[jefff]

We are going to die of antibiotic resistant bacteria. There's no need to worry about cancer.
Great pictures Nate!

 

[mso489]

My wife's battled with two different strains of staph, not even resistant, that have settled on hip prostheses. What an ordeal. On every one's skin, and hospital sourced. Who knows. The bugs are always with us.

 

[iamn8]

 

[pipestud]

No MSO, I don't care about Jupiter. And for the record, I don't care about Uranus either

 

[huntertrw]

Are there rings around Uranus?

 

[troutface]

And what do the Starship Enterprise and toilet paper have in common?

They both circle Uranus searching for Klingons.

An oldie but goodie.