This lecture is part of a series of lectures on “Astronomy” organised by Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias in collaboration with the British Council.
Jupiter has many natural satellites, more than 60 in total, but when most people talk of the Jovian moons they are speaking of the Galilean moons, so-called as it was Galileo Galilei who first spotted these four diverse worlds through his telescope back in 1610. Since that time they have held a special place in our solar system.
They have changed the way we view the Universe: fiery Io, smooth icy Europa, planet-sized Ganymede, and scar-covered Callisto. Not only are they fascinating in their own right, but together they form a solar system in miniature around majestic Jupiter, interacting with their parent planet and the surrounding environment through the forces of gravity and electromagnetism. The spectacular results of these processes range from sub-surface oceans to auroral emissions.
In this talk Prof. Emma Bunce will introduce the basic properties of these mysterious moons and showcase the future European Space Agency mission, the Jupiter Icy moons Explorer (JUICE) which will tour Jupiter, make multiple visits to Europa and Callisto, and finally be the first spacecraft to orbit the icy moon Ganymede. The mission is due for launch in 2022, and will reach the Jupiter system in 2030.
The conference will be given in English with simultaneous translation.