Since Galileo's first vision of Jupiter and its largest moons through
a small telescope in 1610, the Giant Planet has continued to inspire
new generations to explore its remaining secrets and key role in the
formation of our home solar system. Indeed, gas giants such Jupiter
may be critical for the evolution of Earth-like planets and even life
itself. By deflecting intruders such as comets and asteroids away from
the inner solar system where Earth and the other terrestrial planets
orbit, Jupiter has also earned the title of "Gatekeeper of the
Solar System." A spectacular example of Jupiter's guardianship
occurred in 1994 when the 22 pieces of the Comet Shoemaker Levy-9 dramatically
impacted the gas giant and were absorbed by Jupiter's atmosphere.
The Galileo Orbiter mission and its probe were limited to studying the
upper atmosphere of Jupiter, its magnetosphere and its many moons. The
Juno Mission's scientific investigations will be conducted by a suite
of instruments that will probe much deeper into the atmosphere of Jupiter
to reveal the truth about its origens and formative history.
Throughout the Juno Mission, we will undertake a variety of programs
for teachers, students and the general public that emphasize the unique
interests and needs of rural America, including Native American and
Hispanic communities as well as young women in predominantly rural areas.
The Juno mission's nationally distributed team of scientists and engineers
are instrumental in supporting local and regional education and public
outreach activities. The Juno Education program culminates in 2016,
when the Juno Spacecraft begins the first of 32 orbits about Jupiter.
Using the JunoCam camera, students will work alongside JPL scientists
and engineers to capture the first images of Jupiter's Northpole!
The Lewis Center for Education Research (LCER) and the Goldstone Apple
Valley Radiotelescope (GAVRT) Project in Apple Valley, CA are key partners
for formal education resources and activities as well as the Lawrence
Hall of Science in Berkeley, CA. "The Giant Worlds Exhibit" developed
by the Space Science Institute in Boulder, CO partners with the Juno
E/PO program and features major science themes of the Juno mission.
Additional opportunities such as job shadowing, school visits by scientists,
learning about Jupiter by taking direct radio observations (GAVRT, Radio
Jove), imaging through small optical telescopes, summer workshop opportunities
and museum based programs will be available through the Juno Education
and Public Outreach Program in cooperation with its formal and informal
education partners.
For an example of a job shadowing activity from one of the Juno Science
Team members, Prof. Dave Stevenson of California Institute of Technology
that was published in the Planetary Society's Planetary Report.
In collaboration with the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers
(ALPO), the Juno Education and Public Outreach Program invites amateurs
to submit quality images of Jupiter. Images may be sent to the ALPO
image archive and to the Jupiter Coordinator.
As the Juno mission progresses, additional resource will be developed
for educators and students which will be announced here. Please visit
this page again for new resources.
