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Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) is an instrument on the Juno spacecraft in orbit of the planet Jupiter. It is an image spectrometer and was contributed by Italy. Similar instruments are on ESA Rosetta, Venus Express, and Cassini-Huygens missions. The primary goal of JIRAM is to probe the upper layers of Jupiter's atmosphere down to pressures of 5–7 bars (72–102 pound/square inch) at infrared wavelengths in the 2–5 μm interval using an imager and a spectrometer. Jupiter's "hot spots" and auroral regions are targeted for study. It is designed to study the dynamics and chemistry in the atmosphere, perhaps determining the how Jovian hot spots form.
It is hoped H+
3 ions, ammonia, and phosphine can be mapped. The ion of Hydrogen H+
3 is rare on Earth, but is one of the most common ions in the universe and known as protonated molecular hydrogen or the trihydrogen cation.
Despite the intense magnetosphere of Jupiter, the JIRAM is expected to be operational for at least the first eight orbits.
Previously Jupiter was observed by an Infrared imaging spectrometer called NIMS (Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer) on the Galileo Jupiter orbiter. JIRAM was used to observe Earth during its flyby en route to Jupiter. These observations were used to help calibrate the instrument, and the lunar observations were actually a critical planned step in preparing the instrument for observations at Jupiter.
On August 27, 2016, JIRAM observed Jupiter at infrared wavelengths. The first science observation was actually Earth's Moon in October 2013.
JIRAM was started by Professor Angioletta Coradini, however she died in 2011. The instrument was developed at the Institute of the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics and was funded by the Italian Space Agency.