Jupiter, without a doubt, is the biggest planet in our solar system. But it turns out that it is not quite as large - by ever so small an amount - as scientists had previously thought.

NASA's Juno data reveals Jupiter is slightly smaller than previously believed, prompting scientists to rethink the planet's size and shape.

This research helps us understand how planets form and evolve… by studying what’s happening inside Jupiter, we get closer to understanding how planets like ours came to be. ” The planet Jupiter is smaller and flatter than astrophysicists have believed for over 50 years,

New data from NASA's Juno orbiter, launched in 2011 in Florida, reveals Jupiter is slightly smaller than astronomers previously believed.

Launched in 2011 and orbiting Jupiter since 2016, Juno was given an extended mission in 2021 that placed it on a new trajectory. This orbit allowed the spacecraft to pass behind Jupiter relative to Earth,

Jupiter imaged by the Juno spacecraft, with the shadow of the massive moon Ganymede to the left. Data from Juno suggests that Jupiter is flatter than previously thought, according to a new study. | Credit: Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS Image processing by Thomas Thomopoulos © CC BY Jupiter is slightly smaller and flatter than scientists thought for decades,