Jupiter did NOT explode today!

RTG= RadioIsotope Thermoelectric Generator.

An RTG uses the radio decay of low grade radioisotopes to produce thermal energy, which is then converted directly to electricity by a thermocouple transducer. It is NOT a nuclear reactor per se.

Originally posted by mnvet
Silly question, but the radioactive materials aboard Galileo were not part of a reactor were they?

No, they weren't.

If there was not a reactor onboard then there would not have been any U238 to make a nuclear explosion from.

If there was a reactor, the Uranium has to be processed in order to get a weapons grade material in order to cause an explosion.

Plutonium, actually. Not uranium. And it's the nonexplosive isotope of Plutonium.
www.badastronomy.com...

Looks like there was actually an upside to it after all...

PASADENA, California (CNN) -- NASA's Galileo space probe plunged into Jupiter's scorching atmosphere Sunday after circling the giant planet and its moons for eight years.

Scientists sent the probe on its fiery descent to keep it from hitting Jupiter's larger moons, considered some of the most promising sites to search for life beyond Earth. CNN'S Frank Buckley discussed the final moments of the mission with Torrence Johnson, the top scientist on the project, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

www.cnn.com...

Now wouldn't it be ironic if during Galileo's last bit moments, it detected life?

Or all of the sudden earth was hit with a pummel of toxic gas clouds?

To bad it didn't explode, would've been neat.