{"id":276351,"date":"2026-02-10T05:19:17","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T05:19:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/276351\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T05:19:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T05:19:17","slug":"jupiter-isnt-as-large-as-previously-estimated-nasa-data-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/276351\/","title":{"rendered":"Jupiter isn\u2019t as large as previously estimated, NASA data shows"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Images<\/a> <\/p>\n

Images captured in 2023 by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope of the massive aurora lights on Jupiter reveal unexpected activity in the gas giant’s atmosphere. (Video: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI)<\/p>\n

Many of us know Jupiter<\/a> as the solar system\u2019s largest planet, and while it still is, recent findings from NASA\u2019s Juno mission reveal data that the planet is a little smaller and more “squashed” than initially estimated.<\/p>\n

STORMS ON JUPITER GO DEEP BELOW ITS TURBULENT CLOUD TOPS, NEW STUDIES SHOWS<\/a><\/p>\n

According to NASA<\/a>, based on analysis of radio occultation data from 13 Juno flybys, scientists found that the planet\u2019s equator is roughly 5 miles narrower, while its poles are about 15 miles flatter than previously thought.<\/p>\n

\"Image <\/p>\n

Image depicting Jupiter’s size update\u00a0<\/p>\n

(Weizmann Institute of Science \/ NASA)<\/p>\n

Jupiter is a scientific powerhouse, providing immense knowledge as the largest and oldest planet with significant influence.<\/p>\n

“Jupiter\u2019s exact radius serves as a critical calibration standard for modeling giant exoplanets in other star systems,” NASA said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

5 NASA IMAGES THAT COMMEMORATE JUNO’S 50TH ORBIT AROUND JUPITER<\/a><\/p>\n

The Juno mission is investigating Jupiter to understand its formation and evolution by examining the planet\u2019s gravity and magnetic fields<\/a>, enormous magnetosphere, and powerful auroras, while also exploring the swirling clouds that create its distinctive, colorful atmosphere.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The mission will also uncover Jupiter\u2019s composition, including the amount of water it contains.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Radio occultation is used to “see” through Jupiter\u2019s cloudy atmosphere<\/a> and gain knowledge about its internal structure.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"An <\/p>\n

An enhanced Juno spacecraft image taken in July 2022 showing vortices and cloud “pop ups” in the Jovian atmosphere. (Image: NASA \/ JPL-Caltech \/ SwRI \/ MSSS \/ Bj\u00f6rn J\u00f3nsson \u00c2\u00a9 CC NC S)<\/p>\n

(NASA)<\/p>\n

When conducting an occultation experiment, Juno sends radio signals to NASA\u2019s Deep Space Network on Earth. As the signals travel through Jupiter\u2019s charged upper atmosphere, they are bent and delayed by the gases.<\/p>\n

By analyzing the resulting changes in frequency caused by the bends, scientists can determine the temperature, pressure, and electron density of Jupiter\u2019s atmosphere<\/a> at various depths.<\/p>\n

SWIRLING CLOUDS OF JUPITER STAR IN NEW IMAGES CAPTURED BY NASA SPACECRAFT<\/a><\/p>\n

According to NASA, “Previously, Jupiter\u2019s physical dimensions were based on data from\u00a0six\u00a0radio occultation\u00a0experiments performed by the\u00a0agency\u2019s\u00a0Pioneer and Voyager missions in the 1970s.”<\/p>\n

Research from Nature Astronomy<\/a> explains that the new findings indicate winds high above the visible cloud tops show little vertical variation, highlighting a mostly barotropic environment.<\/p>\n

\"Hubble\u2019s <\/p>\n

Hubble\u2019s 2021 image of Jupiter tracks the ever-changing landscape of its turbulent atmosphere, where several new storms are making their mark and the planet\u2019s equator has changed color yet again. Hubble\u2019s 4 September photo puts the giant planet\u2019s tumultuous atmosphere on full display. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center), and M.H. Wong (University of California, Berkeley) and the OPAL team<\/p>\n

(NASA, ESA, OPAL team)<\/p>\n

“The updated shape has important implications for interior structure models, supporting a metal-enriched and cooler atmosphere, thereby helping reconcile discrepancies between models, Galileo probe measurements and Voyager<\/a>-derived temperatures,” as reported in Nature Astronomy.<\/p>\n

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER<\/a><\/p>\n

NASA shared that with a more precise shape, it will help astronomers understand data from planets seen passing in front of their host star well beyond our solar system<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Images captured in 2023 by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope of the massive aurora lights on Jupiter reveal…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":276352,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[111,139,69,147,392],"class_list":["post-276351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-space","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-science","tag-space"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276351","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=276351"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276351\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/276352"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=276351"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=276351"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=276351"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}