Watch Jupiter-bound JUICE spacecraft speed away from Earth (photos)

Amateur and professional astronomers alike came together on Friday, April 13 to capture the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft as it headed away from Earth on its eight-year trip to Jupiter. 

The European Space Agency (ESA) JUICE mission departed from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 08:14 EDT (1214 GMT) journeying aboard an Ariane 5 rocket. Skywatchers were keen to track the progress of the spacecraft which will arrive in the Jovian system in 2031.