Science

Stunning images of Jupiter from NASA Juno mission

NASA/Uriel

NASA's Juno mission has completed another flyby of Jupiter, and the pictures are stunning.

NASA regularly releases raw images taken by the cameras aboard the spacecraft, and then astronomy enthusiasts get to work processing the raw data into detailed images.

The Juno mission left Earth on Aug. 5, 2011, and entered Jupiter's orbit on July 4, 2016.

The craft's next flyby will take place on May 19, and it will eventually descend into Jupiter's atmosphere at some point in 2018 at the end of its mission.

Above is a closeup of the swirling clouds that surround the planet.

Here is a selection of photos.

Jupiter's north pole

NASA / JPL-Caltech / SwRI / MSSS / Roman Tkachenko

A processed view of Jupiter's north pole taken by NASA's Juno spacecraft on its fifth flyby of the planet.

The 'Gas Giant'

NASA/Creative Commons

A color-enhanced image of Jupiter.

Near the 'White Oval'

NASA/SwRI/MSSS/Jason Major © CC BY

A processed image of Jupiter's storms, in this case near the famous milky swirl called the "White Oval."

Jupiter's south pole

NASA/Gervasio Robles

This image is actually comprised of several taken on three different flybys, including the most recent. It depicts Jupiter's south pole and southern hemisphere.

Storms

NASA | Geoff Pritchard

A close-up of Jupiter's swirling clouds, in color.