Jupiter Smaller, Flatter Than Expected: NASA's Juno Mission Reveals 50-Year Mystery

• NASA's Juno mission has revealed that Jupiter is slightly smaller and flatter than previously believed, revising measurements held for 50 years.
• New data from Juno, published in Nature Astronomy, refines earlier observations from Pioneer and Voyager missions in the 1970s.
• Juno's radio science technique, tracking signal bending through Jupiter's atmosphere, allowed for more precise calculations of its polar and equatorial radii.
• The polar radius is now estimated at 66,842 kilometres (12 km smaller) and the equatorial radius is roughly 4 kilometres smaller.
• These refined measurements improve planetary models, offer insights into gas giant formation, and enhance understanding of exoplanets.