Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2025 December 14 IFRAME: [2]https://www.youtube.com/embed/CC7OJ7gFLvE?rel=0 Juno Flyby of Ganymede and Jupiter Video Credit: [3]NASA, [4]JPL-Caltech, [5]SWRI, [6]MSSS; Animation: [7]Koji Kuramura, [8]Gerald Eichstädt, Mike Stetson; Music: [9]Vangelis Explanation: What would it be like to fly over the [10]largest moon in the [11]Solar System? In 2021, the robotic [12]Juno spacecraft flew past [13]Jupiter's huge moon [14]Ganymede and took images that have been digitally constructed into a detailed flyby. As the [15]featured video begins, Juno swoops over the two-toned surface of the 2,000-km wide moon, revealing an icy alien landscape filled with grooves and craters. The [16]grooves are likely caused by shifting surface plates, while the craters are caused by [17]violent impacts. Continuing on in its orbit, Juno then performed its 34th [18]close pass over Jupiter's clouds. The [19]digitally-constructed video shows numerous [20]swirling clouds in the north, colorful planet-circling [21]zones and bands across the middle -- featuring several [22]white-oval clouds from the [23]String of Pearls, and finally more [24]swirling clouds in the south. Tomorrow's picture: andromeda sprite __________________________________________________________________ [25]< | [26]Archive | [27]Submissions | [28]Index | [29]Search | [30]Calendar | [31]RSS | [32]Education | [33]About APOD | [34]Discuss | [35]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [36]Robert Nemiroff ([37]MTU) & [38]Jerry Bonnell ([39]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [40]Specific rights apply. [41]NASA Web Privacy, [42]Accessibility, [43]Notices; A service of: [44]ASD at [45]NASA / [46]GSFC, [47]NASA Science Activation & [48]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://www.youtube.com/embed/CC7OJ7gFLvE?rel=0 3. http://www.nasa.gov/ 4. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ 5. https://www.swri.org/ 6. http://www.msss.com/ 7. http://www.fightforspace.com/team/koji-kuramura/ 8. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/people/400/gerald-eichstadt/ 9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vangelis 10. https://science.nasa.gov/jupiter/jupiter-moons/ganymede/ 11. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/solar-system-facts/ 12. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/juno/ 13. https://science.nasa.gov/jupiter/jupiter-facts/ 14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganymede_(moon) 15. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC7OJ7gFLvE 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap960711.html 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap010428.html 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250216.html 19. https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu/media-gallery/junos-10th-launch-anniversary?show=fig_610b07d5f5b97167311ead97&m=610b07d5f5b97167311ead97 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap171128.html 21. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Jupiter#/media/File:Jupiter_cloud_bands.svg 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170228.html 23. https://astronomynow.com/2017/06/26/jupiters-string-of-pearls/ 24. https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/two-cats-yin-yang-hug-sleep-friendship-love-126599120.jpg 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251213.html 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 29. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 31. https://apod.com/feed.rss 32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 34. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=251114 35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251215.html 36. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 37. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 38. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 39. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 40. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 41. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 42. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 43. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 44. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 45. https://www.nasa.gov/ 46. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 47. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 48. http://www.mtu.edu/