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NASA's revolutionary Juno probe
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is on a daring voyage
to Jupiter.
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Its goal... to reveal
the the deepest mysteries
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of our solar system.
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Everything we see
in the solar system today
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is affected by Jupiter
somehow in the past or now,
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all the asteroids,
all the planets,
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the moons,
the comets, everything.
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So in many ways, Juno is
actually giving us a view
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into the history
of our planetary system,
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even the history of Earth.
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Juno's mission is risky.
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Jupiter could eat
the spacecraft like that.
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But by diving perilously close
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to this monstrous world,
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Juno could change everything
we know about our solar system.
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If you want to know
what's happening,
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you got to get up
close and personal.
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Captions by vitac...
www.vitac.com
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captions paid for by
discovery communications
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Independence day, 2016...
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Juno arrives at Jupiter
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and gets to work.
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The probe angles its
high-resolution camera
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towards this stormy world.
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Juno's snaps do not disappoint.
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The images returned from Juno
are just beautiful.
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Suddenly you have this
magnificent mosaic
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of this planet.
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As a human being, I'm like,
"oh, my gosh, look at this.
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This is amazing. This is
coming back from Jupiter."
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These are the closest-ever views
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of Jupiter,
a world 500 million miles away.
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But we didn't send Juno
just to take pictures.
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One of its main goals is to peer
deep into Jupiter's dark heart.
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One of the big questions
we have about Jupiter is,
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does it have a core?
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And you'd think, well,
of course it has a core
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like every planet has a core.
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The Earth has a core.
Everything does.
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Well, it turns out,
Jupiter might not.
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Knowing what lies at
a planet's core
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allows scientists to wind back
the clock billions of years
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to the formation of the planets.
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If Juno can reveal what lies
deep within Jupiter,
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it could change
our understanding
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of how the gas giant formed.
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If Juno finds a solid core,
it could mean
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Jupiter first formed
as a rocky planet like earth
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then kept growing,
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but if Juno finds no core,
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it could mean that
Jupiter skipped the rocky stage
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and formed straight
from a cloud of gas.
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Answering this question
could shine a light
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on other mysteries, too.
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If we can figure out
how Jupiter formed,
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we can figure out the rest of
the story of the solar system.
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So how do you probe down
into the interior of a planet
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when all you can really see
are the very tops of the clouds?
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Well, incredibly,
you can use gravity.
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As Juno orbits Jupiter,
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it can sense in its orbit
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tiny little variations
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in the gravitational pull
of Jupiter.
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As Juno speeds around Jupiter,
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gravitational spikes
tug on the craft.
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Turns out, some parts of Jupiter
are denser than others.
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If Jupiter were some solid ball,
then as Juno passes by it,
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as it passes very close
above its cloud tops,
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the orbit, the trajectory
would be very smooth,
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but in fact,
if Jupiter has layers,
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or places where
there is more mass
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and places where there's less,
then it's gonna pull on Juno
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a little bit differently.
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Passing over areas
of concentrated mass
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gives Juno a speed boost.
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So what they do is,
the engineers back on earth
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can basically just say,
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"how fast is it moving
right now?
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How about now?
How about now?"
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And you build up a map of
where the mass is in Jupiter
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underneath the spacecraft
as it passes around.
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Juno's instruments
begin to map out
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the heart of gas giant,
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revealing the mysterious core
for the first time.
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What Juno found was
this amorphous mass,
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a fuzzy thing
in the center of Jupiter.
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It's not as solid as we expected
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if it were just
a metal and rock core,
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but there is something there.
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In the center of the planet,
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Juno detects hydrogen
and rocky material
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dissolved and blended together.
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It's a type of planetary core
we've never seen before.
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Astronomers
describe it as fuzzy.
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We thought we were gonna find
an avocado.
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Instead, we found
a bowl of chili.
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It's a hydrogen fluid
chili con carne.
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So none of our models
of the interior of Jupiter
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turned out to be correct.
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That means we have to go back
to the drawing board.
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One theory is that Jupiter
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didn't form from rocks or gas
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but from tiny pebbles
less than an inch wide strewn
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across the early solar system
4.6 billion years ago.
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These pebbles came together.
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They accreted to form
a massive object
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that was the sort of seed,
the core of Jupiter.
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The swarm of pebbles
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clumped together
to form one giant core
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20 times the mass of Earth,
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but these pebbles can't sustain
this growing planet for long.
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Eventually,
we need to make a jump
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from those centimeter-size
particles
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up to really large things, like
100-kilometer planetesimals,
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to really kick-start growth
of a planet.
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As Jupiter grows,
its appetite becomes insatiable.
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The cores of other
would-be planets are drawn in
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by its immense pull
and absorb on impact,
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causing Jupiter's core
to transform.
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Huge chunks of incoming rock
are mixed up with gas
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and the pebbles
that originally built the core.
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We think that core material that
might've been there is actually
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dissolved and mixed in
with the rest of the planet.
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This mix of rock,
gas, and pebbles
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leaves the core
in a strange state
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somewhere
between solid and liquid
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or, in other words, fuzzy.
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Once Jupiter's core reaches
a critical mass,
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its gravity pulls
in all nearby hydrogen gas,
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building the Jovian atmosphere
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and leaving the fuzzy core
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trapped beneath thousands
of miles of thick clouds.
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And that is what formed Jupiter
as we know and love it today.
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Juno's discovery of
Jupiter's fuzzy core
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could rewrite the book on
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Jupiter's early years, but Juno
is just getting started.
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We haven't even scratched
the surface
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of the number
of mysteries there are.
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There's more to
Jupiter than meets the eye
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as Juno's instruments
begin to reveal a darker side
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to this giant world.
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Jupiter's environment
is one of the most vicious
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in the solar system,
and that's because
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of its incredibly
strong magnetic field.
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And Juno is caught
right in the middle of it.
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The gas giant Jupiter
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holds clues to the mysteries
of our solar system,
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and in 2011,
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NASA launched a billion-dollar
mission to uncover them.
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Three, two, one, ignition.
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And liftoff of the Atlas V
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with Juno on a trek to Jupiter.
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To reach its target,
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Juno embarks
on a five-year journey.
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Sending any spacecraft
to another planet
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is gonna be tough,
but sending one to Jupiter
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is really
pushing things pretty hard.
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Juno weaves through
the solar system
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with extreme precision.
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The craft battles violent
temperature changes
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and navigates carefully
through the asteroid belt.
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If there's a fleck of dust
in your path
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and that thing slams
into your spacecraft,
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it could do significant damage.
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1.7 billion miles
into its mission,
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Juno finally nears its target,
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but the probe is hurtling
towards Jupiter
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at 165,000 miles an hour.
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Juno is moving really fast.
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It's one of
the fastest spacecraft ever.
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You need to go fast enough
to get there, but then you need
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to be slow enough to be captured
by the gravity of the planet.
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You need to get it just right.
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Entering orbit around
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Jupiter is the trickiest part
of the mission.
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Get it wrong and Juno could slam
into the planet
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or drift out into deep space.
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To successfully get Juno
to enter a stable orbit around
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Jupiter
as almost the same as, say,
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shooting a basketball
from London
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and having it on the land on
the front of the rim in New York
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and just sitting there balanced.
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I could do it, but can NASA
do it with Juno?
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NASA has a neat game plan.
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Juno performs a backflip
in space
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and fires its thruster
towards Jupiter.
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Everything is going smoothly.
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We're continuing to burn
and change our velocity.
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The rocket burns for
35 nail-biting minutes,
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reducing the craft's speed
by 1,200 miles an hour.
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Finally, the probe
achieves orbit around Jupiter.
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Right on July 4th
during the fireworks
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we just got into orbit.
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In many ways,
we're firing a rocket motor.
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I mean, it is fireworks.
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Safe in orbit,
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Juno turns
its instruments to the planet
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for a crucial part
of the mission...
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investigating Jupiter's
magnetic field.
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Deep below the stormy surface,
liquid metallic hydrogen
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flows endlessly
around the planet,
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producing a huge magnetic field.
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This magnetosphere
stretches over 600 million miles
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beyond the planet,
reaching all the way to Saturn.
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If your eyes could actually see
Jupiter's magnetosphere
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and you tried to look at it
while standing on earth,
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it would look about as big
in the sky as the moon.
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And within this magnetic field,
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Juno faces an invisible threat.
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Jupiter has an enormous
magnetic field.
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It is so enormous
in terms of space,
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but also in terms of power.
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High-energy particles
from the Sun
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are funneled into
deadly radiation belts
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guided by the giant
planet's magnetic field.
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The magnetic field traps charged
particles coming from the Sun
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and circulates them
around that system
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and just bombards
anything in the vicinity,
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including our fragile
little spacecraft.
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Closer to the planet,
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radiation levels are up to
30 times greater
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than they were inside
the reactor core room
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during the Chernobyl disaster.
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This is radiation.
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This is bad news.
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These particles,
they would hit you.
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They would rupture your DNA,
rupture your cell structures,
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and you would die.
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This blistering
radiation is bad news
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for the spacecraft as well.
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The charged particles threaten
to destroy electronic
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and navigational systems,
but Juno has armored up.
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It's not some delicate,
beautiful, gossamer thing
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that you are sending
to orbit Jupiter.
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It's more like a tank.
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You have to protect this thing
or else
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it's not going to last
very long at all.
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We've got a couple hundred
pounds of titanium
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on the spacecraft
just trying to shield us
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from what Jupiter
might throw at us,
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so it is in a sense we're like
an armored tank going into war.
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Lightweight titanium is tough.
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Juno's 1/2-inch-thick
shielding blocks 99%
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of Jupiter's vicious radiation.
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But even at this reduced rate,
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Juno can't survive
the bombardment for long,
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so the craft sets itself
on a unique orbit
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around the gas giant.
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It actually has a very
long orbit
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where it spends
most of its time far away,
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and then every once
in a while dives in and goes,
253
00:14:07,300 --> 00:14:09,076
"oh, hot, hot, hot, hot.
I zoomed in too much,"
254
00:14:09,100 --> 00:14:11,776
and then goes safely away
to communicate and process
255
00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:15,516
and then back in again.
256
00:14:15,540 --> 00:14:17,316
Juno takes a mighty gamble
257
00:14:17,340 --> 00:14:20,016
diving deep
into these radiation belts
258
00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:22,856
to achieve
one of its key objectives...
259
00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:26,826
mapping Jupiter's
giant magnetic field,
260
00:14:26,850 --> 00:14:29,696
and as Juno swoops
around the planet,
261
00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:35,466
it reveals something scientists
have never seen before.
262
00:14:35,490 --> 00:14:36,636
When you look at the Earth,
263
00:14:36,660 --> 00:14:38,906
we have a fairly
simple magnetic field.
264
00:14:38,930 --> 00:14:40,836
It's like a giant bar magnet
with a north
265
00:14:40,860 --> 00:14:42,876
and south magnetic pole.
266
00:14:42,900 --> 00:14:44,876
Well, Jupiter has that as well.
267
00:14:44,900 --> 00:14:46,676
This is called a dipolar field.
268
00:14:46,700 --> 00:14:51,546
It's got two poles,
but it also has a third pole.
269
00:14:51,570 --> 00:14:53,886
Juno's magnetic field maps
270
00:14:53,910 --> 00:14:56,356
show a north and south pole
271
00:14:56,380 --> 00:15:00,456
and a bizarre magnetic
disturbance at the equator.
272
00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:04,066
And it's like Jupiter
just sprouted a third arm,
273
00:15:04,090 --> 00:15:06,866
and that's kind of mysterious.
274
00:15:06,890 --> 00:15:08,396
On magnetic field maps,
275
00:15:08,420 --> 00:15:11,966
north poles show up red
and south poles blue,
276
00:15:11,990 --> 00:15:15,646
so scientists are calling
this second south pole
277
00:15:15,670 --> 00:15:17,876
the great blue spot.
278
00:15:17,900 --> 00:15:20,516
Everyone knows about
the Great Red Spot,
279
00:15:20,540 --> 00:15:24,046
but Jupiter now has
a great blue spot as well.
280
00:15:24,070 --> 00:15:26,256
This magnetic
disturbance reflects
281
00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:28,716
Jupiter's stormy interior.
282
00:15:28,740 --> 00:15:32,496
You have these fast-moving winds
blowing on the magnetic field,
283
00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:34,896
and they're actually
shearing it apart
284
00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:36,526
and moving the field around.
285
00:15:36,550 --> 00:15:38,026
It's not necessarily a storm,
286
00:15:38,050 --> 00:15:39,436
although it could be.
287
00:15:39,460 --> 00:15:41,990
It maybe is better to think
of it as a magnetic storm.
288
00:15:44,630 --> 00:15:46,806
Turbulence inside
Jupiter could be
289
00:15:46,830 --> 00:15:51,346
twisting up the magnetic field
to drive the great blue spot
290
00:15:51,370 --> 00:15:56,316
and the deadly radiation belts
that Juno must navigate through.
291
00:15:56,340 --> 00:16:00,216
Unlike earth, Jupiter
is not really a solid mass
292
00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:04,286
for the most part,
so all of its clouds and gases
293
00:16:04,310 --> 00:16:06,696
are moving
at slightly different rates,
294
00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:09,226
and that actually makes
the magnetic field
295
00:16:09,250 --> 00:16:14,066
that's generated very variable
and highly changing.
296
00:16:14,090 --> 00:16:15,596
For us to have a variable
magnetic field
297
00:16:15,620 --> 00:16:17,166
like Jupiter does,
298
00:16:17,190 --> 00:16:19,336
the entire earth
would have to be molten.
299
00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:21,776
We really don't want
that to happen.
300
00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:25,106
With each orbit,
Juno unravels more mysteries
301
00:16:25,130 --> 00:16:29,316
of this giant planet,
but Jupiter's deepest secret
302
00:16:29,340 --> 00:16:32,316
could shine a light
on our own origins.
303
00:16:32,340 --> 00:16:33,986
If we want to understand
the Earth
304
00:16:34,010 --> 00:16:35,656
and our place
in the solar system,
305
00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:38,156
Juno has found that a lot
of those mysteries
306
00:16:38,180 --> 00:16:39,580
are locked up there in Jupiter.
307
00:16:53,630 --> 00:16:55,106
The Juno spacecraft
308
00:16:55,130 --> 00:16:57,806
is uncovering
the secrets of Jupiter
309
00:16:57,830 --> 00:17:02,346
from its swirling cloud tops
to its dark heart,
310
00:17:02,370 --> 00:17:07,156
but Juno's discoveries
go beyond the gas giant itself.
311
00:17:07,180 --> 00:17:12,026
They could also solve mysteries
surrounding our own planet.
312
00:17:12,050 --> 00:17:14,456
Jupiter is the key
313
00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:16,796
to the formation
of the solar system,
314
00:17:16,820 --> 00:17:18,866
which means it's the key
to understanding
315
00:17:18,890 --> 00:17:21,366
how the Earth formed.
316
00:17:21,390 --> 00:17:22,966
Juno is actually giving us
a view
317
00:17:22,990 --> 00:17:24,936
into the history
of our planetary system,
318
00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:28,676
even the history of earth.
319
00:17:28,700 --> 00:17:31,076
4.6 billion years ago,
320
00:17:31,100 --> 00:17:35,146
a cloud of hydrogen gas
and cosmic dust collapses,
321
00:17:35,170 --> 00:17:38,716
sparking nuclear fusion.
322
00:17:38,740 --> 00:17:41,186
From the resulting chaos,
323
00:17:41,210 --> 00:17:44,326
one star, four rocky worlds,
324
00:17:44,350 --> 00:17:47,126
and four gassy giants are born
325
00:17:47,150 --> 00:17:52,266
and form our solar system.
326
00:17:52,290 --> 00:17:54,466
There's these distinct zones
of the solar system...
327
00:17:54,490 --> 00:17:56,336
rocky and metallic
in the inner part,
328
00:17:56,360 --> 00:17:58,606
gaseous and water-rich
in the outer part,
329
00:17:58,630 --> 00:18:01,306
and even without thinking
about that too hard,
330
00:18:01,330 --> 00:18:04,376
it kind of makes sense
because in close to the Sun,
331
00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:05,646
it's warmer.
332
00:18:05,670 --> 00:18:09,116
Out farther away from the Sun,
it's cooler.
333
00:18:09,140 --> 00:18:12,616
But the Earth breaks the mold.
334
00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:17,626
Our planet has far more water
than theories predict.
335
00:18:17,650 --> 00:18:19,696
The Earth formed in a part
of the solar system that,
336
00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:21,756
well, you'd think normally
should be probably pretty dry
337
00:18:21,780 --> 00:18:24,326
because it was pretty
close to the Sun.
338
00:18:24,350 --> 00:18:28,036
Our planet is just
150 million miles from the Sun,
339
00:18:28,060 --> 00:18:33,376
putting us inside what
scientists call the snow line.
340
00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:36,306
Inside this line,
the Sun is powerful enough
341
00:18:36,330 --> 00:18:42,176
to evaporate water
during a planet's formation.
342
00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:44,546
Inside the snow line,
the temperatures are high,
343
00:18:44,570 --> 00:18:47,486
and there's a lot of energy
from the Sun nearby.
344
00:18:47,510 --> 00:18:48,916
Too close to the Sun,
345
00:18:48,940 --> 00:18:52,286
those gaseous and ice-rich
materials just can't exist.
346
00:18:52,310 --> 00:18:55,596
They're evaporate away
by the heat of the Sun.
347
00:18:55,620 --> 00:19:00,866
Our watery world
should be a dry rock in space.
348
00:19:00,890 --> 00:19:03,466
Understanding how water got
to the Earth is so important
349
00:19:03,490 --> 00:19:07,536
because it wouldn't be there
in the very, very beginning.
350
00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:11,906
But Jupiter could hold
the answer to this mystery.
351
00:19:11,930 --> 00:19:14,446
To solve the riddle
of earth's water,
352
00:19:14,470 --> 00:19:19,416
Juno aims to discover
where our Jupiter was born.
353
00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:21,716
Understanding how and where
354
00:19:21,740 --> 00:19:24,156
and when Jupiter formed
is critical
355
00:19:24,180 --> 00:19:25,626
because it has really dominated
356
00:19:25,650 --> 00:19:28,456
the entire evolution
of the solar system.
357
00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:30,296
It's the biggest planet by far.
358
00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:34,766
It's the biggest thing out there
that's moving everything around.
359
00:19:34,790 --> 00:19:36,906
Any water in the early
solar system
360
00:19:36,930 --> 00:19:40,536
could've been moved around
by Jupiter's mighty gravity,
361
00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:44,506
so if Juno can trace the history
of this giant planet,
362
00:19:44,530 --> 00:19:49,316
that could explain why we find
H2O where it's least expected.
363
00:19:49,340 --> 00:19:51,986
We know that planets can move
closer to the Sun
364
00:19:52,010 --> 00:19:53,856
and farther out
while they're forming
365
00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:55,656
and even after they form,
366
00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:59,086
so how do we figure out
where Jupiter formed?
367
00:19:59,110 --> 00:20:01,326
The key is how much water is
368
00:20:01,350 --> 00:20:04,026
locked up inside Jupiter.
369
00:20:04,050 --> 00:20:09,166
If we can understand how Jupiter
built a relationship with water,
370
00:20:09,190 --> 00:20:11,666
we can understand
how water got distributed
371
00:20:11,690 --> 00:20:17,106
all throughout the solar system,
including here on earth.
372
00:20:17,130 --> 00:20:20,446
If Juno can measure
the water content of Jupiter,
373
00:20:20,470 --> 00:20:23,870
it will solve
a 20-year-old mystery.
374
00:20:25,870 --> 00:20:28,456
December 1995...
375
00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:32,126
NASA's Galileo probe
begins a fatal dive
376
00:20:32,150 --> 00:20:35,296
into Jupiter's atmosphere.
377
00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:39,496
When it did, it was able to
measure the atmosphere around it
378
00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:43,206
and detect water,
and the thing is... it didn't.
379
00:20:43,230 --> 00:20:46,436
It didn't find any,
and that's weird.
380
00:20:46,460 --> 00:20:49,546
Everything was bone-dry,
so why in the world
381
00:20:49,570 --> 00:20:52,506
did Jupiter's atmosphere
look dry?
382
00:20:52,530 --> 00:20:55,576
If the results from
the Galileo probe are correct,
383
00:20:55,600 --> 00:20:58,046
then 4.6 billion years ago,
384
00:20:58,070 --> 00:21:02,116
Jupiter formed
closer to the Sun,
385
00:21:02,140 --> 00:21:04,486
but that's not the whole story.
386
00:21:04,510 --> 00:21:10,126
20 years later, NASA sends
Juno to get a second opinion.
387
00:21:10,150 --> 00:21:13,566
Juno is an orbiter, and so it
is loaded with instruments
388
00:21:13,590 --> 00:21:15,696
and detectors
to look down on Jupiter
389
00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:19,536
and try to figure out
everything that's going on.
390
00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:21,206
Juno doesn't have to risk
391
00:21:21,230 --> 00:21:24,076
its life to hunt for water.
392
00:21:24,100 --> 00:21:26,946
The craft peers through
Jupiter's thick clouds
393
00:21:26,970 --> 00:21:32,716
using a microwave radiometer to
detect H2O from a safe distance.
394
00:21:32,740 --> 00:21:34,356
Using these microwaves,
395
00:21:34,380 --> 00:21:38,456
Juno builds up a global map
of Jupiter's water.
396
00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:39,926
What Juno has found is, yeah,
397
00:21:39,950 --> 00:21:42,926
there's plenty of water
in Jupiter,
398
00:21:42,950 --> 00:21:46,196
it's just that Galileo
happened to hit a dry spot,
399
00:21:46,220 --> 00:21:48,996
but in fact, if it had
come in almost anywhere else,
400
00:21:49,020 --> 00:21:53,006
it would've seen
plenty of water.
401
00:21:53,030 --> 00:21:55,576
Juno's findings may give a clue
402
00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:59,716
to where Jupiter
originally formed.
403
00:21:59,740 --> 00:22:02,816
It seems apparent now that
Jupiter
404
00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:06,856
didn't form
in its present location.
405
00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:08,056
The leading theory is that
406
00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:10,886
Jupiter formed
just beyond the snow line,
407
00:22:10,910 --> 00:22:14,156
the boundary between
the dry inner solar system
408
00:22:14,180 --> 00:22:16,626
and the wet outer solar system.
409
00:22:16,650 --> 00:22:19,796
But we find Jupiter is twice
as far away from the Sun
410
00:22:19,820 --> 00:22:22,636
as where that original
snow line would've been,
411
00:22:22,660 --> 00:22:26,506
so this is telling us
something interesting.
412
00:22:26,530 --> 00:22:27,676
Jupiter may have wandered from
413
00:22:27,700 --> 00:22:29,546
its original position,
414
00:22:29,570 --> 00:22:33,046
causing unimaginable chaos.
415
00:22:33,070 --> 00:22:35,216
As Jupiter moved around,
things got hit
416
00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:37,416
and knocked out
of the solar system.
417
00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:39,716
It essentially scatters
everything in its path.
418
00:22:39,740 --> 00:22:42,516
It's the biggest player.
It's the biggest planet.
419
00:22:42,540 --> 00:22:44,656
Everything moves for it.
420
00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:48,126
As Jupiter bulldozes
toward the outer solar system,
421
00:22:48,150 --> 00:22:50,226
it slings ice-rich asteroids
422
00:22:50,250 --> 00:22:55,390
and comets in towards the Sun
and towards the Earth.
423
00:22:59,930 --> 00:23:01,636
Jupiter would literally
in some sense
424
00:23:01,660 --> 00:23:04,746
have snowplowed
into the inner solar system
425
00:23:04,770 --> 00:23:06,846
a whole wave
of water-rich planetesimals
426
00:23:06,870 --> 00:23:11,846
that would've delivered
much of our Earth's oceans.
427
00:23:11,870 --> 00:23:15,356
Juno has helped answer
why our Earth is habitable
428
00:23:15,380 --> 00:23:17,956
despite being so close
to the Sun.
429
00:23:17,980 --> 00:23:20,256
So it was worth going all
that distance,
430
00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:23,220
sending Juno all the way out
there to get that closer look.
431
00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:28,466
Juno continues to explore
432
00:23:28,490 --> 00:23:33,076
Jupiter's mysteries
and its famous features.
433
00:23:33,100 --> 00:23:35,376
There is nothing more iconic
about Jupiter
434
00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:37,376
than the Great Red Spot.
435
00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:41,646
And Juno reveals
that this 300-year-old cyclone
436
00:23:41,670 --> 00:23:44,700
may soon vanish.
437
00:23:57,290 --> 00:23:59,096
Our solar system plays host
438
00:23:59,120 --> 00:24:01,466
to some epic natural wonders...
439
00:24:01,490 --> 00:24:03,536
the ice geysers of Enceladus,
440
00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:06,676
the giant rings of Saturn,
441
00:24:06,700 --> 00:24:10,646
the martian mega volcano
Olympus Mons,
442
00:24:10,670 --> 00:24:13,176
but in July of 2017,
443
00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:17,016
NASA's Juno probe skims
the surface of Jupiter
444
00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:22,186
and photographs the most famous
natural wonder...
445
00:24:22,210 --> 00:24:24,726
a fierce, hurricane-like storm
446
00:24:24,750 --> 00:24:29,026
that's been raging
for hundreds of years.
447
00:24:29,050 --> 00:24:30,326
When you think of Jupiter,
448
00:24:30,350 --> 00:24:32,626
one of the most
visually stunning
449
00:24:32,650 --> 00:24:34,836
and most iconic features
of the atmosphere
450
00:24:34,860 --> 00:24:36,836
is that Great Red Spot.
451
00:24:36,860 --> 00:24:38,666
There is nothing like
Jupiter's red spot
452
00:24:38,690 --> 00:24:42,076
in our entire solar system.
453
00:24:42,100 --> 00:24:45,006
As Juno soars
over the Great Red Spot,
454
00:24:45,030 --> 00:24:49,470
it looks down onto a storm
over 10,000 miles across.
455
00:24:53,010 --> 00:24:55,016
This is the most extreme storm.
456
00:24:55,040 --> 00:24:56,726
The winds are
blowing continuously
457
00:24:56,750 --> 00:24:59,956
at 400 miles an hour.
458
00:24:59,980 --> 00:25:03,566
On earth, the most
powerful category 5 hurricanes
459
00:25:03,590 --> 00:25:06,536
can unleash
almost total destruction,
460
00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:09,466
but these are less
than half as powerful
461
00:25:09,490 --> 00:25:11,766
as the storm on Jupiter.
462
00:25:11,790 --> 00:25:14,336
The Great Red Spot is
the greatest hurricane
463
00:25:14,360 --> 00:25:16,406
that you've ever imagined.
464
00:25:16,430 --> 00:25:17,876
But that's not all.
465
00:25:17,900 --> 00:25:22,416
Juno's microwave radiometer
allows scientists to see through
466
00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:26,456
Jupiter's cloud layers
for the first time.
467
00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:30,156
Juno has instrumentation
that's able to look underneath,
468
00:25:30,180 --> 00:25:31,586
so one of the things
we did was we looked
469
00:25:31,610 --> 00:25:33,556
at how deep are the roots.
470
00:25:33,580 --> 00:25:35,796
Juno peers down into the eye
471
00:25:35,820 --> 00:25:37,526
of this monstrous storm.
472
00:25:37,550 --> 00:25:40,796
It spots temperature changes
far below the surface
473
00:25:40,820 --> 00:25:43,466
that follow the storm's
iconic shape,
474
00:25:43,490 --> 00:25:46,506
tracing the roots
of the Great Red Spot
475
00:25:46,530 --> 00:25:49,176
deep into the Jovian atmosphere.
476
00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:50,806
They found out that
it goes down over
477
00:25:50,830 --> 00:25:54,346
200 miles
deep into the atmosphere.
478
00:25:54,370 --> 00:25:56,270
There's nothing
like that on Earth.
479
00:25:59,580 --> 00:26:02,216
The greatest cyclones
of our own planet
480
00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:05,426
can reach heights
of around 10 miles,
481
00:26:05,450 --> 00:26:10,596
but Jupiter's Great Red Spot
is over 20 times taller.
482
00:26:10,620 --> 00:26:12,666
I think that really brings
into perspective
483
00:26:12,690 --> 00:26:14,790
the massive scale
of this planet.
484
00:26:18,090 --> 00:26:20,606
Jupiter's vast,
turbulent atmosphere
485
00:26:20,630 --> 00:26:24,246
hosts the deepest storm
mankind has ever seen,
486
00:26:24,270 --> 00:26:28,376
and Juno's discoveries
get scientists wondering.
487
00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:31,316
Could the Great Red Spot
help explain
488
00:26:31,340 --> 00:26:34,116
another of Jupiter's mysteries,
489
00:26:34,140 --> 00:26:39,386
the planet's surprisingly
warm atmosphere?
490
00:26:39,410 --> 00:26:42,226
Jupiter looks out
in our outer solar system
491
00:26:42,250 --> 00:26:43,696
where everything is very cold.
492
00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:47,366
The Sun is very dim
when you get that far away.
493
00:26:47,390 --> 00:26:50,436
Jupiter is five times farther
from the Sun than we are,
494
00:26:50,460 --> 00:26:52,166
so it's only getting 4%
495
00:26:52,190 --> 00:26:54,736
of the amount of energy
from the Sun that we do.
496
00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:56,006
But there's something heating up
497
00:26:56,030 --> 00:26:57,346
the atmosphere of Jupiter.
498
00:26:57,370 --> 00:27:00,346
There are parts of it
that are many times warmer
499
00:27:00,370 --> 00:27:01,846
than we could explain
with sunlight.
500
00:27:01,870 --> 00:27:03,586
The question is, of course,
where is that energy
501
00:27:03,610 --> 00:27:06,286
coming from?
502
00:27:06,310 --> 00:27:09,356
Juno swoops in for
another pass on Jupiter,
503
00:27:09,380 --> 00:27:11,626
turning its
high-resolution cameras
504
00:27:11,650 --> 00:27:16,256
on the raging storm below.
505
00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:18,526
The storm unleashes
vicious turbulence
506
00:27:18,550 --> 00:27:20,436
into the surrounding atmosphere,
507
00:27:20,460 --> 00:27:22,936
giving scientists the clue
they need
508
00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:26,236
to explain
the planet's high temperature.
509
00:27:26,260 --> 00:27:29,476
The Great Red Spot
is a giant hurricane
510
00:27:29,500 --> 00:27:34,016
that's powered by heat deep
in the core of Jupiter,
511
00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:37,816
but it has such violent
and chaotic motion,
512
00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:40,310
it's mixing up
the atmosphere around it.
513
00:27:43,810 --> 00:27:46,026
The thunderstorms on Jupiter
are gonna be generating
514
00:27:46,050 --> 00:27:48,026
booming thunder
just the same way
515
00:27:48,050 --> 00:27:52,166
that they do here on the Earth.
516
00:27:52,190 --> 00:27:54,336
Thunderclouds send sound waves
517
00:27:54,360 --> 00:27:58,966
rippling through the storm.
518
00:27:58,990 --> 00:28:03,546
A sound wave is a wave
of pressure,
519
00:28:03,570 --> 00:28:06,616
of compression
where air molecules
520
00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:09,316
or water molecules
get compacted.
521
00:28:09,340 --> 00:28:10,746
They get squeezed together,
522
00:28:10,770 --> 00:28:12,716
and when you squeeze
something together,
523
00:28:12,740 --> 00:28:14,016
they're a lot closer together
524
00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:15,480
and they're gonna
get pretty hot.
525
00:28:18,250 --> 00:28:20,056
These sounds waves shoot up
526
00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:23,426
500 miles above the storm
527
00:28:23,450 --> 00:28:26,836
where they break, converting
sound energy into heat.
528
00:28:26,860 --> 00:28:30,706
These sound waves,
they crash together,
529
00:28:30,730 --> 00:28:32,766
creating a tremendous
amount of energy
530
00:28:32,790 --> 00:28:36,976
and heating the gases
around them.
531
00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:39,576
Jupiter's great
red spot has helped heat
532
00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:42,476
the Jovian atmosphere
for hundreds of years,
533
00:28:42,500 --> 00:28:48,286
but new images suggest that
this may be about to change.
534
00:28:48,310 --> 00:28:50,186
Jupiter's red spot is so big,
535
00:28:50,210 --> 00:28:53,356
I mean, it's bigger than earth
by a long shot.
536
00:28:53,380 --> 00:28:56,396
It seems like it would be
an incredibly stable thing.
537
00:28:56,420 --> 00:28:59,796
It's just there and it's always
been there and always will be.
538
00:28:59,820 --> 00:29:03,506
Recently,
we've seen it changing.
539
00:29:03,530 --> 00:29:05,806
When NASA's Voyager
space probe visited
540
00:29:05,830 --> 00:29:07,936
Jupiter in 1979,
541
00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:11,200
it observed a storm
twice the diameter of Earth.
542
00:29:15,700 --> 00:29:20,186
In 2017, Juno's images
show the Great Red Spot
543
00:29:20,210 --> 00:29:24,626
has lost a third of its width,
but that's not all.
544
00:29:24,650 --> 00:29:28,856
Despite the storm shrinking,
it's actually getting taller.
545
00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:31,726
The Great Red Spot is being
stretched and forced
546
00:29:31,750 --> 00:29:34,796
into Jupiter's upper atmosphere.
547
00:29:34,820 --> 00:29:36,366
The storms in
the Great Red Spot,
548
00:29:36,390 --> 00:29:39,036
it's kind of like the clay
on a potter's wheel,
549
00:29:39,060 --> 00:29:41,176
where as you bring your hands
closer together
550
00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:43,906
to draw the clay in,
the closer your hands are,
551
00:29:43,930 --> 00:29:47,246
the taller the pottery becomes,
and similarly, for the storm,
552
00:29:47,270 --> 00:29:49,616
as it becomes
smaller at the base,
553
00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:53,456
it raises taller toward
the upper atmosphere.
554
00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:55,316
It's getting taller,
and we see storms
555
00:29:55,340 --> 00:29:57,686
do the same thing on earth,
and when it does that,
556
00:29:57,710 --> 00:30:00,196
the wind shear will actually
take the top of the storm off
557
00:30:00,220 --> 00:30:02,496
and drag it apart,
and so we'll be watching it
558
00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:04,026
very intently
over the next few years
559
00:30:04,050 --> 00:30:08,566
to see if that's what happens on
Jupiter as well.
560
00:30:08,590 --> 00:30:10,366
It may be only a matter of time
561
00:30:10,390 --> 00:30:13,406
before Jupiter's
high-altitude winds
562
00:30:13,430 --> 00:30:16,306
tear this iconic storm
to shreds.
563
00:30:16,330 --> 00:30:18,506
The most famous storm
of the solar system
564
00:30:18,530 --> 00:30:20,476
may soon disappear,
565
00:30:20,500 --> 00:30:23,046
but Juno reveals other storms
566
00:30:23,070 --> 00:30:26,786
hidden in the strangest
of places.
567
00:30:26,810 --> 00:30:29,156
The storm in the Great Red Spot
is one,
568
00:30:29,180 --> 00:30:32,780
but not the only, giant storm
that's happening on Jupiter.
569
00:30:49,230 --> 00:30:52,806
NASA's Juno probe
has traveled billions of miles
570
00:30:52,830 --> 00:30:54,546
across the solar system
571
00:30:54,570 --> 00:30:58,486
to reveal the mysteries
of gas giant Jupiter,
572
00:30:58,510 --> 00:31:00,916
but there's one part of Jupiter
573
00:31:00,940 --> 00:31:04,686
that has remained hidden
until now.
574
00:31:04,710 --> 00:31:07,496
Before Juno, our view of Jupiter
was very limited.
575
00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:10,366
We'd never actually flown
over the poles.
576
00:31:10,390 --> 00:31:12,066
It's something that's very hard
to do on Jupiter.
577
00:31:12,090 --> 00:31:15,536
We don't have other missions
that have done this.
578
00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:19,206
In August of 2016,
Juno's flight plan takes
579
00:31:19,230 --> 00:31:22,576
the spacecraft
into unknown territory to reveal
580
00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:27,976
Jupiter's mysterious polar
regions for the first time.
581
00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:29,616
Well, and the first time
we looked at the pole,
582
00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:31,940
it didn't look anything
like the Jupiter we knew.
583
00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:37,326
We never would've guessed
that was Jupiter
584
00:31:37,350 --> 00:31:38,630
if somebody had
shown that to us.
585
00:31:42,420 --> 00:31:46,196
Juno's camera reveals
a strange blue expanse
586
00:31:46,220 --> 00:31:49,096
that puzzles scientists.
587
00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:50,266
The electronic color
588
00:31:50,290 --> 00:31:52,936
could be due to chemical changes
in the clouds
589
00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:56,876
brought on by a lack
of sunlight,
590
00:31:56,900 --> 00:32:00,276
but what Juno spots
inside the blue clouds
591
00:32:00,300 --> 00:32:03,386
is even stranger...
592
00:32:03,410 --> 00:32:08,186
giant central cyclones spin
around each pole at 200 miles
593
00:32:08,210 --> 00:32:10,456
an hour, with these cyclones
594
00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:14,956
surrounded by eight
stormy vortices in the north
595
00:32:14,980 --> 00:32:18,296
and five in the south.
596
00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:21,596
There are these weird cyclones,
gigantic swirls,
597
00:32:21,620 --> 00:32:25,566
vortices of gas swirling around
Jupiter's poles,
598
00:32:25,590 --> 00:32:28,906
and they're
clearly forming patterns.
599
00:32:28,930 --> 00:32:30,846
It's hard to get
a sense of scale here.
600
00:32:30,870 --> 00:32:32,906
Now the north polar
central cyclone,
601
00:32:32,930 --> 00:32:36,816
that one right at the pole,
that's 2,500 miles across.
602
00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:40,616
That is almost as big as
the continental United States.
603
00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:42,086
What is going on there?
604
00:32:42,110 --> 00:32:44,780
This is nothing like
what we see on earth.
605
00:32:47,820 --> 00:32:51,826
On earth, our weather
is driven by heat from the Sun
606
00:32:51,850 --> 00:32:53,796
that hits our planet
at the equator
607
00:32:53,820 --> 00:32:57,206
and flows across the surface.
608
00:32:57,230 --> 00:33:00,476
Powerful cyclones form
over tropical waters
609
00:33:00,500 --> 00:33:04,346
and move around the planet,
610
00:33:04,370 --> 00:33:07,516
but the polar regions receive
less energy from the Sun,
611
00:33:07,540 --> 00:33:11,246
so cyclones
can't form at the poles.
612
00:33:11,270 --> 00:33:13,356
We see that if you're at
the equator,
613
00:33:13,380 --> 00:33:14,586
it's warmer and it's stormier.
614
00:33:14,610 --> 00:33:15,986
If you're at the poles,
615
00:33:16,010 --> 00:33:20,996
where the Sun is slightly harder
to see, that activity goes away.
616
00:33:21,020 --> 00:33:22,756
But the weather on Jupiter
617
00:33:22,780 --> 00:33:25,126
couldn't be more different.
618
00:33:25,150 --> 00:33:27,366
We see lightning
and convective thunderstorms
619
00:33:27,390 --> 00:33:29,596
at the poles of Jupiter
but not at the equator,
620
00:33:29,620 --> 00:33:32,366
and that's sort of the opposite
of what we see on the Earth.
621
00:33:32,390 --> 00:33:36,846
The question is,
what's driving Jupiter's storms?
622
00:33:36,870 --> 00:33:38,406
Jupiter is five times further
623
00:33:38,430 --> 00:33:40,516
away from the Sun than the Earth
624
00:33:40,540 --> 00:33:44,946
and receives only a fraction
of the Sun's energy.
625
00:33:44,970 --> 00:33:47,986
Unlike earth,
Jupiter's polar regions
626
00:33:48,010 --> 00:33:50,586
seem to be where the action is.
627
00:33:50,610 --> 00:33:53,926
Something is driving
the planet's weird weather,
628
00:33:53,950 --> 00:33:57,596
and Juno's scans of the giant
planet's thermal emissions
629
00:33:57,620 --> 00:34:01,696
suggests it could be
Jupiter itself.
630
00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:04,436
We can actually see
the internal heat of Jupiter
631
00:34:04,460 --> 00:34:05,806
coming right up through,
632
00:34:05,830 --> 00:34:08,036
and so Jupiter
will look very bright in areas
633
00:34:08,060 --> 00:34:11,276
where we can see that heat.
634
00:34:11,300 --> 00:34:13,416
Juno detects searing heat
635
00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:16,416
beneath Jupiter's cloud bands.
636
00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:19,186
Jupiter has so much material,
so much mass,
637
00:34:19,210 --> 00:34:22,056
so much gravity that
the interior is incredibly dense
638
00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:23,756
and very, very hot.
639
00:34:23,780 --> 00:34:26,726
At the core, it's probably at
many thousands of degrees hotter
640
00:34:26,750 --> 00:34:29,626
than the surface of the Sun.
641
00:34:29,650 --> 00:34:33,836
This fiery inferno
buried in Jupiter's dark heart
642
00:34:33,860 --> 00:34:37,436
is a relic from its birth
billions of years ago.
643
00:34:37,460 --> 00:34:40,206
The violent collisions
that formed the planet
644
00:34:40,230 --> 00:34:42,736
left its core seething hot,
645
00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:45,646
a heat that remains to this day,
646
00:34:45,670 --> 00:34:50,116
buried under thousands of miles
of insulating gas.
647
00:34:50,140 --> 00:34:52,786
As the heat slowly leaks
outward,
648
00:34:52,810 --> 00:34:55,716
Jupiter's fast-rotating
atmosphere
649
00:34:55,740 --> 00:34:59,456
creates vicious cyclones
and thunderstorms.
650
00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:02,226
And that's what's really
driving most of the weather.
651
00:35:02,250 --> 00:35:06,266
It's not the Sun.
It's Jupiter itself.
652
00:35:06,290 --> 00:35:08,866
And as Juno soars
over the planet,
653
00:35:08,890 --> 00:35:13,136
it reveals
another weather mystery.
654
00:35:13,160 --> 00:35:16,106
The craft detects bursts
of radio waves
655
00:35:16,130 --> 00:35:19,846
spiking up
to four times a second...
656
00:35:19,870 --> 00:35:24,846
the telltale sign
of ferocious lightning strikes.
657
00:35:24,870 --> 00:35:26,486
Clouds are moving around
in the atmosphere
658
00:35:26,510 --> 00:35:28,356
and building up electric charge
659
00:35:28,380 --> 00:35:30,886
and causing bolts
of lightning to form,
660
00:35:30,910 --> 00:35:35,126
and we've actually seen this
with the Juno spacecraft.
661
00:35:35,150 --> 00:35:38,196
These are mega storms
orders of magnitude bigger
662
00:35:38,220 --> 00:35:39,550
than here on Earth.
663
00:35:43,530 --> 00:35:46,636
And Juno finds there's
more to these thunderclouds
664
00:35:46,660 --> 00:35:50,006
than just flashes of light...
665
00:35:50,030 --> 00:35:54,316
giant icy hailstones of water
and ammonia,
666
00:35:54,340 --> 00:35:57,016
the chemical
which gives Jupiter's clouds
667
00:35:57,040 --> 00:36:01,716
their orange color.
668
00:36:01,740 --> 00:36:03,356
High up in Jupiter's atmosphere,
669
00:36:03,380 --> 00:36:07,026
the ammonia is mixing
with the water,
670
00:36:07,050 --> 00:36:09,226
and it becomes a liquid ball
671
00:36:09,250 --> 00:36:11,896
that starts to collect ice
around it,
672
00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:17,106
and it will fall like hail does
deep into Jupiter's atmosphere.
673
00:36:17,130 --> 00:36:20,976
On earth, hail falls
to the ground and melts,
674
00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:24,676
but on Jupiter,
there is no ground.
675
00:36:24,700 --> 00:36:26,916
And it gets lifted
in the atmosphere
676
00:36:26,940 --> 00:36:29,076
because of an updraft
and then more ice,
677
00:36:29,100 --> 00:36:31,316
and it builds bigger,
and then it falls down,
678
00:36:31,340 --> 00:36:32,686
and then it gets
carried back up,
679
00:36:32,710 --> 00:36:38,056
and so hail is often
many layers being built.
680
00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:41,696
These ice balls grow
layer by layer as they soar up
681
00:36:41,720 --> 00:36:44,726
and down the atmosphere.
682
00:36:44,750 --> 00:36:47,266
If they formed in storms
here on earth,
683
00:36:47,290 --> 00:36:50,536
they'd cause
some serious damage.
684
00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:52,966
So if you were buzzing around
Jupiter
685
00:36:52,990 --> 00:36:55,606
and you were near
where these storms were,
686
00:36:55,630 --> 00:36:59,976
you might get hit by hail
coming up or going down.
687
00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:04,116
This is one of the most violent,
energetic atmospheres
688
00:37:04,140 --> 00:37:07,816
in the entire solar system.
689
00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:09,886
Juno is revealing the secrets
690
00:37:09,910 --> 00:37:12,656
that Jupiter has hidden
for decades,
691
00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:17,326
including the mystery
of Jupiter's northern lights.
692
00:37:17,350 --> 00:37:19,796
When Juno studied the lights
693
00:37:19,820 --> 00:37:21,896
coming from the aurora
on Jupiter,
694
00:37:21,920 --> 00:37:24,920
it found that something
really weird is going on.
695
00:37:42,840 --> 00:37:46,426
On earth, dazzling
auroras light up the skies
696
00:37:46,450 --> 00:37:48,626
as charged particles
from the Sun
697
00:37:48,650 --> 00:37:51,280
interact with atoms high
in the atmosphere.
698
00:37:54,660 --> 00:37:58,736
Deep in the outer solar system,
Jupiter is too far from the Sun
699
00:37:58,760 --> 00:38:01,806
for strong auroras
to form in this way,
700
00:38:01,830 --> 00:38:05,046
but high above
the giant planet's poles,
701
00:38:05,070 --> 00:38:09,140
Juno spots a seemingly
impossible light show.
702
00:38:11,370 --> 00:38:14,356
The auroras of Jupiter
are tremendously larger
703
00:38:14,380 --> 00:38:15,916
than the ones
that we find here on Earth.
704
00:38:15,940 --> 00:38:17,956
In fact, the auroral rings
near the poles
705
00:38:17,980 --> 00:38:20,426
are bigger
than our planet itself.
706
00:38:20,450 --> 00:38:21,726
Jupiter's auroras emit
707
00:38:21,750 --> 00:38:24,166
primarily ultraviolet
and X-ray light,
708
00:38:24,190 --> 00:38:26,626
so you can't see it
with the naked human eye,
709
00:38:26,650 --> 00:38:29,596
but if you could see them
and you were at Jupiter,
710
00:38:29,620 --> 00:38:32,506
that would be
an amazing light show
711
00:38:32,530 --> 00:38:37,646
because those auroras
are strong.
712
00:38:37,670 --> 00:38:39,046
These glowing displays are
713
00:38:39,070 --> 00:38:41,746
evidence of charged particles
714
00:38:41,770 --> 00:38:45,216
slamming into
Jupiter's atmosphere.
715
00:38:45,240 --> 00:38:47,616
But if they're not coming
from the Sun,
716
00:38:47,640 --> 00:38:50,326
where are they coming from?
717
00:38:50,350 --> 00:38:52,856
Hunting for an answer,
Juno snaps an image
718
00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:54,496
of Jupiter's southern lights
719
00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:59,466
with its ultraviolet
imaging spectrometer.
720
00:38:59,490 --> 00:39:03,866
Inside the aurora,
it glimpses something strange.
721
00:39:03,890 --> 00:39:06,266
When Juno studied the lights
722
00:39:06,290 --> 00:39:08,336
coming from the aurora
on Jupiter,
723
00:39:08,360 --> 00:39:11,606
it found that they were
even stronger than expected,
724
00:39:11,630 --> 00:39:13,246
and in fact, when you look at
725
00:39:13,270 --> 00:39:15,976
Jupiter's poles in wavelengths
that our eyes can't see,
726
00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:20,286
for example, ultraviolet,
you see a hot spot.
727
00:39:20,310 --> 00:39:22,456
This hot spot marks the point
728
00:39:22,480 --> 00:39:25,756
where huge concentrations
of charged particles
729
00:39:25,780 --> 00:39:28,756
strike Jupiter's atmosphere.
730
00:39:28,780 --> 00:39:31,796
Tracing their trajectory
reveals the culprit
731
00:39:31,820 --> 00:39:34,396
of Jupiter's dazzling
light shows...
732
00:39:34,420 --> 00:39:36,990
the volcanoes
of Jupiter's moons.
733
00:39:39,730 --> 00:39:42,576
Jupiter's moon, Io has hundreds
of active volcanoes
734
00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:45,106
spewing out materials
way out into space,
735
00:39:45,130 --> 00:39:49,376
and many of those get trapped by
the magnetic field of Jupiter.
736
00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:53,386
Io's volcanoes fire
out jets of charged particles,
737
00:39:53,410 --> 00:39:57,556
which are swept by the giant
planet's magnetic field.
738
00:39:57,580 --> 00:39:59,126
It's funneling those
particles down
739
00:39:59,150 --> 00:40:04,166
and slamming into specific spots
in Jupiter's atmosphere.
740
00:40:04,190 --> 00:40:06,426
But Io isn't
the only moon responsible
741
00:40:06,450 --> 00:40:09,436
for Jupiter's polar light show.
742
00:40:09,460 --> 00:40:12,766
If we go further out,
Europa, Ganymede,
743
00:40:12,790 --> 00:40:14,106
Callisto, those are more icy.
744
00:40:14,130 --> 00:40:16,906
They don't necessarily
have volcanoes.
745
00:40:16,930 --> 00:40:18,906
These icy moons twist up
746
00:40:18,930 --> 00:40:22,276
Jupiter's magnetic field
in their own way.
747
00:40:22,300 --> 00:40:24,846
Some of these moons have
magnetic fields that interact
748
00:40:24,870 --> 00:40:26,446
with Jupiter's magnetic field,
749
00:40:26,470 --> 00:40:31,756
and that actually intensifies
the aurora display on Jupiter.
750
00:40:31,780 --> 00:40:33,626
Jupiter's moons work together
751
00:40:33,650 --> 00:40:37,926
to energize the greatest auroras
in the solar system,
752
00:40:37,950 --> 00:40:40,126
but in these beautiful displays
753
00:40:40,150 --> 00:40:45,136
is a stark reminder
of the danger Juno faces.
754
00:40:45,160 --> 00:40:47,276
When you look at these pictures
of the aurora on Jupiter,
755
00:40:47,300 --> 00:40:48,536
and you think,
oh, that's beautiful.
756
00:40:48,560 --> 00:40:49,976
Wouldn't it be great
to see that in person?
757
00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:52,506
The answer is no,
no, it wouldn't
758
00:40:52,530 --> 00:40:54,416
because they will kill you.
759
00:40:54,440 --> 00:40:57,916
What's causing these displays
are subatomic particles
760
00:40:57,940 --> 00:41:00,786
accelerated to tremendously
high speeds
761
00:41:00,810 --> 00:41:03,516
by the magnetic fields involved.
762
00:41:03,540 --> 00:41:06,626
The radiation around
Jupiter is lethal
763
00:41:06,650 --> 00:41:08,956
and not just for humans.
764
00:41:08,980 --> 00:41:11,526
The lifetime of the Juno
mission is very limited
765
00:41:11,550 --> 00:41:14,496
by the extreme conditions
it has to survive in.
766
00:41:14,520 --> 00:41:15,866
We think that in the future,
767
00:41:15,890 --> 00:41:17,636
a lot of the instruments
will be so irradiated,
768
00:41:17,660 --> 00:41:21,276
they won't really work anymore.
769
00:41:21,300 --> 00:41:23,976
When Juno's titanium
armor finally fails,
770
00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:29,646
Jupiter's deadly radiation will
damage the craft beyond repair,
771
00:41:29,670 --> 00:41:32,716
so the team plan to go out
with a bang,
772
00:41:32,740 --> 00:41:36,456
thrusting Juno into
Jupiter's atmosphere,
773
00:41:36,480 --> 00:41:39,556
where the craft
will be torn to pieces.
774
00:41:39,580 --> 00:41:42,856
Eventually, it'll be drawn down
into Jupiter's depths
775
00:41:42,880 --> 00:41:45,996
and become a part
of the planet itself.
776
00:41:46,020 --> 00:41:47,596
But before then,
777
00:41:47,620 --> 00:41:51,306
Juno has many
more mysteries to unlock.
778
00:41:51,330 --> 00:41:54,306
We'll answer some questions,
and we'll raise some more.
779
00:41:54,330 --> 00:41:56,076
That's what I expect
780
00:41:56,100 --> 00:41:59,606
and we'll get some
fantastic images.
781
00:41:59,630 --> 00:42:03,046
Every single thing has turned
out to be a surprise.
782
00:42:03,070 --> 00:42:05,516
There are so many things that
Juno has opened our eyes to that
783
00:42:05,540 --> 00:42:08,486
I can't imagine
having not sent it.
784
00:42:08,510 --> 00:42:10,086
So we're in for at least a year
785
00:42:10,110 --> 00:42:13,826
more of the most profound
surprises about Jupiter.
786
00:42:13,850 --> 00:42:16,796
What we're learning,
what we're unlocking,
787
00:42:16,820 --> 00:42:18,296
not just about Jupiter,
788
00:42:18,320 --> 00:42:20,266
but the formation
of the solar system
789
00:42:20,290 --> 00:42:23,236
and potential formation
of life itself
790
00:42:23,260 --> 00:42:24,966
here on earth,
791
00:42:24,990 --> 00:42:26,130
it's mind-blowing.