Jupiter Meets Juno

NASA was not playing around when they pulled out the archival pens for the Juniper and Juno event, or were they? It seems that scientists at NASA not only have a firm understanding of Greek and/or Roman mythology, they also have a collective sense of humor that can play out a joke that is centuries old. What happens when the Gods of old meet the latest in technology? The result may not bode well for their ethereal marriage vows, but the concept is most certainly entertaining for mankind. Jupiter Meets Juno Who Are Jupiter and Juno? Roman and Greek mythologies often share similar traits, so much so that sometimes the only difference is in the name. In Roman mythology, Juno and Jupiter are the primary gods that reign over Earth. In Greek mythology, those gods are named Zeus and Hera. In both scenarios, Jupiter is as randy as they come and has no concept of how to endure a monogamous relationship. Juno is well aware of this fact and, because of this, she often goes into a jealous rage. Woe to the woman who is caught responding to Jupiter’s advances! Only, sometimes Juno’s rage is so strong that it hurts her more than anyone else, and she ends up turning into a cow or, in the most recent version, simply smashing herself against Jupiter. Modern Day Jupiter and Juno Because of the status of the god Jupiter, astronomers named the first orbiting orb they found beyond Earth, its moon, and its sun after the god. As time went on, and Jupiter’s moons were found, they were named after his lovers and, eventually, his children, as mythology records them. However, Juno, ever the wife kept in the dark, was not included in these bodies. Today, scientists have sent Juno up to use the same exact modern methods that any human wife would use to exploit her husband’s infidelity … a video camera. Juno will circle Jupiter 37 times, recording his infidelity and the offspring that are the results of his infidelity as she goes. To humans, this means that various moons and asteroids will be able to be seen on video for the very first time. For the comedians at NASA, it could mean that Jupiter and Juno are about to have their final stand-off. In any case, just as there are always certain limits in the stories woven through mythology, there are limits to this event as well. Juno only gets to circle Jupiter 37 times before she crashes into the planet. When this is recorded with archival pens, it may be hard to tell if the story will be read as mythology or highly advanced science. In any case, despite what or who may be orbiting Jupiter, at the end of the day it will be Juno who takes her rightful, though tragic place in Jupiter’s arms. While other things may orbit Jupiter, it will be Juno who is truly fragmented and first on the surface of Jupiter. One has to wonder if the scientists at NASA are comedians or romantics at heart, or, in the worst case scenario, that they have not considered the old adage about a woman scorned. To learn more about the antics at NASA or how you might best record your own scientific findings, visit The Scientific Notebook Company to browse our wide variety of scientific notebooks and archival pens. Scientific notebook

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