Magnetic fields are all around us, unseen forces that can shape their environments in profound ways. Earth's magnetic field shields us from the solar wind, but the dynamo that generates it is hidden from view by the magnetized rock beneath our feet. Aside from the Sun, the solar system's largest magnetosphere belongs to Jupiter – a gargantuan magnetic windsock with a tail stretching out to the orbit of Saturn. Now, NASA is sending the Juno spacecraft to peer beneath Jupiter's clouds, giving scientists their first glimpse of the dynamo driving this giant magnetic field. In this interview, Juno Deputy Principal Investigator Jack Connerney discusses the mission and its magnetometers.
Music from Killer Tracks: "Beep," "Jupiter's Eye," "Original Conquest," "Through the Mist," "Lost Roads."