NASA's Juno spacecraft finds Jupiter smaller and flatter than earlier estimates

Exam-focused facts from the 6 February 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

NASA's Juno spacecraft revealed Jupiter is about 8 kilometres narrower at the equator and 24 kilometres flatter at the poles than previously believed.
The measurements were derived from 13 close flybys of Jupiter using the radio occultation technique.
Earlier size estimates relied on six radio occultation experiments by NASA's Pioneer and Voyager missions during the 1970s.
The findings were published on February 2, 2026, in the journal Nature Astronomy.
Jupiter's updated dimensions will improve models used to study giant exoplanets beyond our solar system.
The Juno mission is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.