The closest planned flyby will have the spacecraft approach Europa to an altitude of just 16 miles.

NASA is sending a probe to Jupiter's icy moon to look for life

Icy Moon Flyby

NASA has announced it's completing the final designs and planning for constructing and testing a spacecraft that will visit Jupiter's icy moon Europa.

NASA is Sending a Probe to Jupiter’s Icy Moon to Look for Life

Europa's ocean of salty water is one of the most promising places in the solar system to look for life.

An ancient collision is scientists' best explanation for the planet's unusually diffuse core.

Jupiter may have absorbed a smaller planet

Hard Science

Scientists suggest that Jupiter may have collided with and absorbed a giant protoplanet when the solar system was forming some 4.5 billion years ago.

Jupiter May Have Absorbed a Smaller Planet

Did the solar system's largest planet eat one of its siblings?

And an amateur astronomer was able to capture it on camera.

Something enormous just smashed into Jupiter

Big Hit

Jupiter got hit by something so big on Wednesday that a photographer was able to capture the impact using a telescope in his backyard.

Something Enormous Just Smashed Into Jupiter

"I've never seen anything like that before."

Blade-shaped arms are growing out of the storm as it swirls.

Jupiter's Great Red Spot is dying

Jupiter Ending

NASA scientists report that Jupiter's Great Red Spot is shrinking and that it could totally dissipate within the next 20 years.

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot Is Dying

The iconic oval storm could dissipate in a matter of decades.

"I can imagine organisms anchored to the sea floor or the ice benefiting from these waves."

The moons of Jupiter and Saturn could have Earth-like tidal waves

Off World

New calculations suggest that two of Jupiter and Saturn's moons could have active tidal waves, much like those here on Earth, under their thick icy shells.

The Moons of Jupiter and Saturn Could Have Earth-Like Tidal Waves

New finding bolsters the case for alien life.

These new planets are massive. So is what they could teach us.

Time to Shine, CI Tau

CI Tau is a small star. But new research shows that its planets are absolute units, dwarfing the largest planets in our own system by an enormous margin.

These New Planets Are Massive. So Is What They Could Teach Us.

One of them is 10 times the size of Jupiter, but whips around its star every nine days.

Ever wonder why  water on other planets it’s so important to scientists? Here’s what you should know about H2O.

Ever wonder why water on other planets is so important to scientists? Here’s what you should know about H2O on other worlds.

Here's Why Finding Water On Other Planets is So Important

Here’s Why Finding Water On Other Planets is So Important

The planet could host much more water than Earth.

There's water in Jupiter's atmosphere

Based on data from two ground-based telescopes, researchers believe there's water on Jupiter, perhaps far more than on Earth.

There's Water in Jupiter's Atmosphere

Turns out Jupiter might be a strong contender for hosting life elsewhere in our solar system.

There’s Water in Jupiter’s Atmosphere

The search for alien life just got a whole lot more interesting.

Like your most drunken Saturday nights, Jupiter’s moon spews liquid

The geysers of water, confirmed with data gathered 20 years ago, make NASA's search for life on Europa as easy as hopping through a lawn sprinkler.

A Beautiful, 20-Year Old “New” Discovery: Jupiter Moon’s Massive Liquid Plumes

And they could hold secrets of alien life there, too. 

The planet isn't totally made of gas, but you still can't stand on its surface.

We now know what lies beneath Jupiter's clouds

Using data from NASA's Juno mission, four new studies reveal incredible information about what lies beneath Jupiter's clouds.

/ Jupiter