NASA Captures Rare Images of Jupiter’s Elusive Moon Amalthea
Amalthea, noted for its red color and unusual energy output, stands out among Jupiter’s moons. It is described as having a potato-like shape. Despite being the fifth-largest of Jupiter’s moons, Amalthea is relatively small.
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has successfully photographed Amalthea, the elusive fifth moon of Jupiter, for the first time during its 59th flyby of the gas giant on March 7, 2024.
Amalthea, noted for its red color and unusual energy output, stands out among Jupiter’s moons. It is described as having a potato-like shape. Despite being the fifth-largest of Jupiter’s moons, Amalthea is relatively small compared to its gigantic neighbors.
The moon orbits closely to Jupiter, within the powerful magnetic fields of the planet, which may explain why it emits more heat than it receives from the sun. Theories suggest that electric currents induced within Amalthea by Jupiter’s magnetic field, or possibly tidal stresses from the planet’s gravity, could generate additional heat.
NASA’s Juno mission continues to provide valuable data on Jupiter’s complex system. Amalthea was spotted near the Great Red Spot, a massive storm on Jupiter, appearing as a tiny black dot against the storm’s extensive red backdrop