We've Got Our First Look at Jupiter From NASA Craft

The NASA spacecraft that entered Jupiter's orbit earlier this month has sent back its first image of the planet. Think of it as a test shot, with the better, high-resolution photos to come next month. Still, the image released by NASA shows Jupiter, its famous red spot, and three of its moons (lo, Europa, and Ganymede). The Juno craft took the image with its JunoCam from about 2.7 million miles away, and while Juno is currently arcing away from the planet, it will swing back for a closer look in August, reports the BBC. In fact, Juno will make 37 revolutions around Jupiter over the course of its 18-month mission.

"This scene from JunoCam indicates it survived its first pass through Jupiter's extreme radiation environment without any degradation and is ready to take on Jupiter," says NASA's Scott Bolton. "We can't wait to see the first view of Jupiter's poles." Juno also has an array of scientific instruments now being turned on and calibrated to prepare for the big part of the mission: a close, 14-day orbit in October. You can follow the mission on Facebook and on Twitter. (More Jupiter stories.)