NASA's Juno mission completes 50 orbits around Jupiter

NASA's Juno mission has completed 50 orbits around Jupiter since the spacecraft arrived at the giant planet in 2016, according to NASA.

Juno finished its 50th close pass by Jupiter on April 8, according to NASA updates on Monday. As the spacecraft orbits Jupiter, the camera on board Juno, named JunoCam, snaps pictures of the planet from different angles and radial distances.

So far the spacecraft has returned large amount of data back to Earth, including images from several different instruments, and spectacular views of Earth, Jupiter, and Jupiter's large moons Ganymede and Europa, according to NASA.

As the largest planet orbiting the Sun, Jupiter has had a profound influence on the solar system. But its origin remains a profound mystery.

The Juno mission aims to study the gas giant's gravitational and magnetic fields, vast magnetosphere, intense aurora, and exploring the swirling clouds that form Jupiter's colorful atmosphere, in order to learn how Jupiter formed and how it has evolved, according to NASA.