News dated
On October 16, ESA and DLR presented new images taken by the Juice mission’s JANUS camera during its Earth flyby on September 28, 2026. ESA’s published sequence follows a strip across Africa, from Madagascar to the Gulf of Guinea, using images captured between 13:46 and 13:50 CEST. The mosaic combines around forty colour frames over a map. [1][2]
During the campaign from September 27 to October 2, JANUS collected 740 images of Earth and the Moon. The flyby enabled tests and calibration while Earth’s gravity changed the spacecraft’s trajectory. Arrival at the Jupiter system is planned for 2031: these are pictures of Earth, not new observations of Jupiter’s moons. [1][2]
The bright side
The Earth flyby provided views of our planet and an opportunity to check instruments intended for Jupiter. [1][2]
One idea, in simple words
Juice is a spacecraft travelling towards Jupiter. On September 28, 2026, it passed near Earth and photographed our planet with a camera called JANUS. ESA and DLR presented new images on October 16. One sequence shows a strip across Africa, from Madagascar to the Gulf of Guinea. The mosaic, an image made by joining several pictures, combines around forty colour frames over a map. [1][2]
These photographs also help check the instruments before future observations. As an example, think of testing a camera before a long journey. During the campaign from September 27 to October 2, JANUS collected 740 images of Earth and the Moon. Arrival at Jupiter is planned for 2031: seeing these pictures today does not mean the spacecraft has already arrived there. [1][2]
A little discovery to keep
What did you discover?
Straight from the source.
- Fly over Africa with Juice European Space Agency · 16 Oct 2026
- Say cheese! JUICE snaps flyby photos of Earth and Moon German Aerospace Center (DLR) · 16 Oct 2026
Original reporting summaries prepared with AI assistance and accessible sources. Our editorial method.
