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NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, the most ambitious and complex space observatory ever built, will be used to study Jupiter's large red spot, illuminating the enigmatic storm that has plagued the planet for more than 350 years. years.
The iconic Jupiter storm is on the list of targets chosen by the Webb telescope's guaranteed time observers – scientists who helped develop the incredibly complex telescope and among the first to use it to observe the universe .
One of the objectives of the telescope is to study the planets, including the mysteries still held by the planets in our solar system from Mars and beyond.
Researchers plan to use Webb's medium infrared (MIRI) instrument to create multispectral maps of the large red spot and analyze its thermal, chemical, and cloud structures.
They will be able to observe the infrared wavelengths that could illuminate the iconic color of the spot, often attributed to the Sun's ultraviolet radiation interacting with the nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus chemicals that are raised from the deeper atmosphere of Jupiter. by powerful atmospheric currents. in the storm.
Using MIRI to observe in the range of five to seven micrometers could be particularly revealing for the Great Red Spot study because no other mission could observe Jupiter in this part of the electromagnetic spectrum, and observations in such wavelengths are not possible. Earth.
These wavelengths of light could allow scientists to see unique chemical byproducts of the storm, which would provide insight into its composition.
"We will look for signatures of all the unique chemical compounds at the big red spot, which could be responsible for the red chromophores," said Leigh Fletcher, a senior researcher at the University of Leicester in the UK, who is the Senior scientist on Webb telescope observations of the Jupiter storm.
Chromophores are the parts of the molecules responsible for their color.
Webb's observations can also help determine if the large red spot generates heat and releases it into the upper atmosphere of Jupiter, a phenomenon that could explain the high temperatures in this region.
"All waves produced by vigorous convective activity in the storm must cross the stratosphere before reaching the ionosphere and the thermosphere," Fletcher said.
"So, if they really exist and are responsible for heating the upper layers of Jupiter, I hope we will see evidence of their passage in our data," he said.
Generations of astronomers have studied the big red spot; the storm has been monitored since 1830, but has probably existed for more than 350 years.
The reason for the longevity of the storm remains largely a mystery, and the key to understanding the formation of storms on Jupiter is to witness their complete life cycle – growing, shrinking, and eventually dying.
"We have not seen the shape of the Great Red Spot, and it will not die any time soon, so scientists need to observe" smaller and cooler "storms on the planet to see how they begin and evolve, Webb could do in the future, "says Fletcher.
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