New Horizons Spacecraft Passes Jupiter

A new spacecraft is headed for the outer Solar System. Named New Horizons , this robotic explorer passed Jupiter last week after being launched only in early 2006. New Horizons is being pulled by Jupiter's gravity to a greater speed toward its next target: Pluto in 2015. During its encounter with Jupiter , New Horizons was able to capture new images of many Jovian moons , Jupiter's complex and ever-changing atmosphere , and Jupiter's Little Red Spot , pictured above . Formed over the past few years from several smaller storms, Jupiter's Little Red Spot survived a near miss with Jupiter's better-known Great Red Spot last year. The above image of Jupiter covers over twice the diameter of the Earth .