Exploring Jupiter's atmosphere up close

[willpittenger]

Eventually, we will probably send something to Jupiter to explore its atmosphere. A simple drop probe is OK, but if you miss (like Galileo's probe did), you get data that you end up struggling to explain. So I thought that an aircraft would work.<br /><br />In a high wind area, you are stuck with something like a fixed wing plane. However, if the wind speeds fall, you could use a helicopter or even a lighter-than-air vehicle. However, since Jupiter's atmosphere has so much Hydrogen and Helium, filling a lighter than air ballon up with those will not work. Instead, you need a rigid airship strong enough to ensure a minimum volume. Until then, your lighter-than-air craft would be too heavy. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[skyone]

There was once a proposal to explore a gas giant using a heavier than air nuclear-ramjet powered uav probe with endurance measured in months.

 

[vogon13]

Do you have a link for the Galileo probe miss?<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[qso1]

The Galileo probe didn't miss...it just didn't enter an area where there was a lot of lightning. JPL Scientists wanted to see evidence of lightning activity and didn't IIRC. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[qso1]

Just an image I did awhile back of an unmanned atmospheric probes eye view of the red spot. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

IIRC, it also hit an area that was anomolously cloud free. I'll look for a link. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[willpittenger]

Is the image real or simulated? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[vogon13]

First probe to Jupiter's atmosphere manages to hit Jupiter's atmosphere.<br /><br />I am having trouble understanding where the 'miss' bit comes in . . . . . <br /><br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Again, IIRC, it was an atypical part of the atmosphere. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[willpittenger]

I count it as a miss because the conditions desired where elsewhere. You can't hit what isn't there. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[qso1]

Its an image I made in a 3D program. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[3488]

How about the following link??<br /><br />http://uplink.space.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=sciastro&Number=546999&page=2&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&fpart=<br /><br />I like your image qso1. I think that it is fairly accurate.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[holmec]

Could use an aerobrake technique modified to take several samples and readings on different parts of the atmoshphere. It seems we really don't know what all the different shades of the atmoshphere are. <br /><br />By the way we did learn something from Galileo's probe. It seemed to be shooting in the dark. But it served a purpose. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[willpittenger]

Thanks. It had me wondering if the Galileo probe had a camera on it that I was not aware of. Would have been a good idea. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[3488]

The Galileo atmospheric probe carried no camera, (although the Galileo Orbiter was well tooled up with cameras & produced many spectacular images), but did have light sensors, that could detect changes in lighting & detect the bright flashes from lightning if there was any in the local area.<br /><br />There was no local lightning, & the probe descended into a 'dry' area (like an anticyclone) between two cloud belts (dumb luck really).<br /><br />The probe detected only one cloud layer (not the three expected) & survived to 23 atmospheres pressure & a temperature of 123 Celsius.<br /><br />It was luck that the descent was successful at all.<br /><br />The atmospheric probe deployed its first parachute about one minute later than anticipated, resulting in a small loss of upper atmospheric readings. <br /><br />Through review of records, the problem was later determined to likely be faulty wiring in the parachute control system. <br /><br />The fact that the chute opened at all was attributed to luck.<br /><br /> http://spaceprojects.arc.nasa.gov/Space_Projects/galileo_probe/index.html<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[qso1]

Thanks, I try to imagine a realistically as possible when it comes to actual planets. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[qso1]

Glad it looked that convincing. If they had been able to, I'm sure they would have put a camera on board the probe. I wished they had put a camera on the probe as well. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[vogon13]

The probe was released from the Galileo spacecraft <i><b> 5 months and 50+ million miles</b></i> from Jupiter. (so the Galileo probe could maneuver off the path to atmospheric entry, additionally, Jupiter rotated ~400 times during those 5 months)<br /><br />The probe had no thrusters or navigation capability and relied entirely on the main Galileo craft for targeting.<br /><br />Any characterization of the probe as 'off course' or 'missing its' target' is petulant whining multiplied by unrealistic expectations.<br /><br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[crix]

You should remove any traces of curvature. At that altitude (related to visible cloud size) there would be no visible curvature in that 'photograph.' <br /><br />Very nice job though, I have never seen an attempt of this view.

 

[qso1]

I'd have to load that scene file to see if the surface object has a curve. IIRC, I used the same technique that I used on another image back in 1995 which kind of fools the eye into thinking they are seeing a curve. It looks flat to me along the horizon line except where the clouds are breaking up the line some. The view is also slanted which was another way to sort of indicate curvature. But it was actually not my intent to suggest curvature, especially at this altitude.<br /><br />crix:<br />Very nice job though, I have never seen an attempt of this view.<br /><br />Me:<br />Thanks and AFAIK, nobody else has done this. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[yevaud]

I've seen some artist's representations of this here and there over the years, but this is very very good. Right up there with the best of them.<br /><br />Most excellent. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[qso1]

Thanks, I appreciate that. Now my heads gonna swell. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[yevaud]

Hey, kudos due where deserved. This was. An excellent job.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[willpittenger]

I think you misinterpeted what I wrote. At least in my more recent posts I have pointed out that the desired cloud structures were not where they were expected to be. In the strictest sense of the word, that is a miss. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[willpittenger]

Would the image that Qso1 created match what we would have seen if the probe did have a camera? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>