‘Fireflies’ help NASA map radiation around Jupiter and its moons
NASA Space Technology (Image credit: MARK GARLICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images)The first ever 3D radiation map of Jupiter and its moons has been created using low-light cameras aboard the Juno Spacecraft that have been tweaked to operate as radiation detectors.The map reveals how Jupiter's powerful magnetosphere influences the radiation environment around one of the gas giant's moons, Europawhich is crucial for understanding the moon's surface chemistry, potential habitability, and the challenges of future space missions to this icy world."This is the first detailed radiation map of the region at these higher energies, which is a major step in understanding how Jupiter's radiation environment works," said Scott Bolton, Juno principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, in a NASA statement. "This will help planning observations for the next generation of missions to the Jovian...
