JunoCam

JunoCam is a color, visible-light camera aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft, designed primarily for public outreach and education while also providing imagery of Jupiter's atmosphere and cloud features. The instrument was developed by Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS) of San Diego under contract with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. JunoCam’s purpose is to capture wide-field color images of Jupiter, including its bands, storms, and polar regions, to accompany the mission’s scientific data and to engage the public in space exploration.

The camera uses a filter wheel to take images in multiple color filters, enabling the production of color composites after downlink to Earth. While not a primary science instrument like JIRAM or the ultraviolet spectrograph, JunoCam images contribute to studies of atmospheric dynamics and cloud morphology and provide context for other measurements taken by the mission.

Operation and data flow are driven by command sequences issued from the Juno operations team. After each perijove pass, JunoCam collects image sequences, which are downlinked to Earth and released as raw data. The public is encouraged to participate in image processing; citizen scientists and educational groups produce colorized images and composites that are publicly shared by NASA and MSSS.

Notable outcomes include widely circulated images of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, atmospheric bands, storms, and polar regions. JunoCam remains part of the ongoing Juno mission, contributing to public engagement and the broader scientific understanding of Jupiter’s atmosphere.