Juno data reveals Jupiter has a rippling magnetodisk

New observations from NASA's Juno spacecraft show that Jupiter's magnetodisk is a rippling structure that rotates along with the planet, Universe Today reported. An international team led by Shandong University made the discovery using measurements from the uncrewed probe. The findings contradict previous scientific assumptions about the structure of the Jovian magnetodisk. [1]

Jupiter's ring-shaped magnetodisk is driven by the planet's rapid rotation and volcanic material supplied by Io, its innermost moon, Universe Today reported. Scientists had previously pictured the magnetodisk as a flat structure. Jupiter possesses the largest magnetosphere of any planet in the Solar System, matching its status as the largest planet. [1][4]

Built by Lockheed Martin and operated by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Juno was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on August 5, 2011. The spacecraft entered a polar orbit around Jupiter on July 5, 2016, to investigate the planet's interior, magnetosphere, and moons as part of NASA's New Frontiers program. [2]

Jupiter is a gas giant with a mass nearly 2.5 times that of all other planets in the Solar System combined. The probe was originally scheduled to be deorbited into Jupiter's atmosphere after completing its primary mission. However, NASA approved an extended mission allowing Juno to continue orbiting Jupiter to study its Jovian rings and inner moons until contact is lost. [2][4]