Leicester astronomers comment as Juno arrives at Jupiter

After an almost five-year journey to the solar system’s largest planet, NASA's Juno spacecraft successfully entered Jupiter’s orbit this morning during a 35-minute engine burn.  Confirmation that the burn had completed was received on Earth at 8:53 pm. PDT, or 4:53 pm UK time.

A team of international scientists, including a team from our Department of Physics and Astronomy, have been involved in the development of the craft and will be using Juno to conduct their own research on Jupiter. They have been speaking to media over the past few days about the mission, including to the Daily Telegraph, The Independent, MailOnline and BBC News.

The University of Leicester is home to the only formal UK science lead for the Juno mission, NASA's programme to study our solar system's largest planet, Jupiter. Planetary scientists and astronomers from our Department of Physics and Astronomy will be studying the gas giant's magnetosphere, dynamic atmosphere and its beautiful polar auroras throughout the duration of the mission.

They have also coordinated HST observations of the effect of the solar wind on Jupiter’s auroras during Juno’s cruise phase to the giant planet.

Watch video interviews with Professor Stan Cowley and Professor Emma Bunce about Juno:

A new microsite details the University’s involvement in Juno, including the research that scientists here at Leicester will be undertaking with data from the spacecraft. Throughout the mission you will find the latest news, press releases and multimedia from our Juno related work.

Watch the Department of Physics and Astronomy's Dr Leigh Fletcher talk about the Juno mission on BBC News:

• Europlanet press release detailing European contributions to the mission
• Leicester to Jupiter - the Department of Physics and Astronomy's blog on Juno