After Europe’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JIMO) flew by the Moon and Earth earlier this week, ESA announced the pictures Which was made on this occasion using a “watch camera” and a simple navigation camera. Today the first images from the scientific camera JANUS were added. This camera was designed to take detailed pictures of Jupiter and its icy moons.
JANUS will map surface features and processes on the icy moons, as well as Jupiter’s cloud cover, after it arrives at Jupiter in July 2031. The image resolution will be 2.4 meters per pixel in the case of Jupiter, and about 10 kilometers per pixel in the case of the large moon Ganymede.
The primary purpose of the observations made by JANUS during its flybys of the Earth and Moon was to test whether the camera was working properly, not to conduct scientific research. JANUS simply took pictures with different camera settings and exposure times, just as you would with a newly purchased camera.
The images give a good impression of the quality of the images that JANUS will soon take of Jupiter’s icy moons. This achieves a resolution 50 times higher than previous cameras sent to the Jovian system. The camera is equipped with a computer that controls all the functions of the machines and transmits the data to Earth. (E)
