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Astronomy Picture of the Day

Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2025 April 2

Explanation: Why does Jupiter have rings? was discovered in 1979 by NASA's passing 1 spacecraft, but its origin was then a mystery. Data from NASA's spacecraft that orbited Jupiter from 1995 to 2003, however, confirmed the hypothesis that was created by meteoroid impacts on small nearby moons. As a small meteoroid strikes tiny , for example, it will bore into the moon, vaporize, and explode dirt and dust off into a orbit. The of Jupiter in by the shows not only , but this ring as well. Jupiter's (GRS) -- in comparatively light color on the right, Jupiter's large moon -- in the center of on the left, and -- next to the -- are also visible. Several features in the image are , including the cloud layer on Jupiter's right limb.

Authors & editors: () & ()
NASA Official: Amber Straughn .
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