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Over the course of the storms, the colossal Great Red Spot of Jupiter, 16,000 kilometers wide and covering 350 years, is the champion of all times of the solar system. According to NASA, it could engulf the entire Earth and still have room for Mars. After its launch on March 30, 2021, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope will utilize its unparalleled infrared capabilities to study the enigmatic storm and rely on data returned by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and Space Intelligence. 39, other observatories.
"Webb's infrared sensitivity is a great complement to Hubble's studies of the big red spot on the visible wavelength," said astronomer Heidi Hammel, executive vice president of AURA (Association of Universities for research in astronomy). "Hubble's images have revealed striking changes in the size of the large red patch over the decades of the mission."
"Unresolved Mysteries" – NASA's James Webb Space Telescope probes Jupiter's big red spot
Jupiter's iconic storm is on the list of targets chosen by watch-hour observers, the scientists who helped develop this incredibly complex telescope, and were among the first to use it to observe the universe. One of the scientific goals of the telescope is to study planets, including the mysteries that planets still hold in our own solar system since Mars and beyond.
Leigh Fletcher, a researcher at the Royal Society of Oxford University, is the principal investigator in the observation of the Jupiter storm by the Webb telescope. His team plans to use the Webb Medium Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to create multispectral maps of the large red spot. analyze its thermal, chemical and cloud structures.
Scientists will be able to observe infrared wavelengths that could shed light on the causes of the spot's iconic color, often attributed to the sun's ultraviolet radiation, which interacts with chemicals containing nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus , which are extracted from the deeper atmosphere of Jupiter by currents in the storm.
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Fletcher explained that using MIRI for observation in the 5 to 7 micrometer range might be particularly revealing for the big red spot, no other mission having been able to. observe Jupiter in this part of the electromagnetic spectrum, and observations in such wavelengths are not possible. From the earth. These wavelengths of light could allow scientists to see unique chemical byproducts of the storm, which would provide insight into its composition.
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"We will look for the signatures of all the chemical compounds specific to the [Great Red Spot]… that could be responsible for red chromophores, "said Fletcher. Chromophores are the parts of the molecules responsible for their color. Fletcher added, "If we do not see unexpected chemical or aerosol signatures … then the mystery of this red color may remain unresolved."
Webb's observations can also help determine whether the large red spot generates heat and rejects it in the upper atmosphere of Jupiter, a phenomenon that could explain the high temperatures in this region. Recent research funded by NASA has shown that gravity waves and colliding sound waves produced by the storm could generate the observed heat, and Fletcher said that Mr. Webb might be able to collect data at the same time. # 39; support.
"Any wave produced by vigorous convective activity within the storm must cross the stratosphere before reaching the ionosphere and the thermosphere," he explained. "So, if they really exist and they are responsible for heating the upper layers of Jupiter, we hope we'll see the evidence of their passage in our data."
Generations of astronomers have studied the big red spot, but the reason for the longevity of the storm remains largely a mystery. Fletcher explained that the key to understanding the formation of storms on Jupiter is to witness their complete life cycle – growing, shrinking and dying. We have not seen the shape of the big red spot and it is possible that she will not die anytime soon (although it has been reduced, as evidenced by the images from the Hubble Space Telescope of NASA and other observatories), scientists must therefore monitor the observation of "smaller and cooler" storms. on the planet to see how they start and evolve, what Webb could do in the future, Fletcher said.
"These particular observations will reveal the vertical structure of the storm, which will be an important constraint for Jovian's numerical simulations. [Jupiter] meteorology, "he explained." If these simulations can help explain what Webb is observing in the infrared, we will take a step closer to understanding how these gigantic swirls live so long. "
The Daily Galaxy via JPL and NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center
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