Jupiter probe fly by

[Davey-T]

Interplanetary probe Juno on it's way to Jupiter flying by Earth on 9th October should be possible to image it (if its not raining)

Dave

[WaveSoarer]

Good luck!

[tingting44]

i was thinking how would it pass us if its on its way to jupiter but just read this. very interesting

Juno requires a five-year cruise to Jupiter, arriving around July 4, 2016. The spacecraft will travel over a total distance of roughly 2.8 billion kilometers (18.7 AU; 1.74 billion miles).^[6] The spacecraft will orbit Jupiter 33 times during oneEarth year. Juno's trajectory will use a gravity assist speed boost from Earth, accomplished through an Earth flyby two years (October 2013) after its August 5, 2011 launch.^[7] In August of 2016, the spacecraft will perform an orbit insertion burn to slow the spacecraft enough to allow capture into an 11-day polar orbit. Once Juno enters into its orbit, infrared and microwave instruments will begin to measure the thermal radiation emanating from deep within Jupiter's atmosphere. These observations will complement previous studies of the planet's composition by assessing the abundance and distribution of water, and therefore oxygen. While filling missing pieces of the puzzle of Jupiter's composition, these data will also provide insight into the planet's origins. Juno will also investigate the convection that drives general circulation patterns in Jupiter's atmosphere. Meanwhile, other instruments aboard Juno will gather data about the planet's gravitational field and polar magnetosphere. The Juno mission is set to conclude in October 2017, after completing 33 orbits around Jupiter, when the probe will be de-orbited to crash into Jupiter^[8][9] so as to avoid any possibility of it impacting its moons

[Paul M]

Interesting, I guess it'll be on a parabolic trajectory in the ecliptic plane on it's fly-by in October. I wonder what path it'll take and at what range closest approach will be and if it's day or night and which side of the planet will be best situated and, and....??

Could be a challenge!

Unless someone comes up with the answers I guess I'm going to have to Google it!

[Paul M]

Ok, Ok, so I couldn't wait.

Here's the result of my Googlings:

http://www.heavens-above.com/JunoFlyby.aspx

Plug in your own location and off you go.

At closest approach it's off the tip of South Africa and then goes into Earth shadow.

It's visible from the UK a while later but is fading fast.

Magnitudes are in the 8 to 10+ bracket so it's not a dazzler!

[Cath]

[tingting44]

awsome video!