Jupiter's Violent Beauty: Juno's Most Extraordinary Discoveries

Juno discovered that Jupiter's magnetic field is surprisingly uneven and much stronger than expected, revealed that the planet's poles are covered in Earth-sized cyclones arranged in geometric patterns, and found that the interior structure includes a diluted core, contradicting earlier models.

Juno is protected by a titanium vault that shields its sensitive electronics from radiation, and its highly elliptical orbit keeps it away from the most intense radiation zones except during brief close passes.

Juno's gravity measurements suggest Jupiter does not have a distinct solid core but instead a 'fuzzy' or diluted core consisting of heavy elements mixed with hydrogen and helium, likely the remnant of an ancient planetary collision.

Juno found that the Great Red Spot extends deeper into the atmosphere than anticipated, reaching at least 300 miles (500 kilometers) down, and that it has a turbulent, chaotic structure at depth.

Juno discovered that Jupiter's poles are covered with cyclones up to 1,000 kilometers across, arranged in a pentagon at the south pole and an octagon at the north pole, and they are extremely stable, persisting for years without merging.