NASA's Webb telescope will unveil the mystery of Jupiter's Big Red Dot

Washington, June 26 (AEFS) NASA's James Webb Space Telescope will use its unparalleled infrared capabilities to study Jupiter's big red spot, shedding new light on the enigmatic storm, the US space agency said.

Led by Leigh Fletcher, principal investigator at the University of Leicester, scientists plan to use the Webb Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to create multispectral maps of the large red spot and analyze its thermal structures. , chemical and cloudy.

They will be able to observe infrared wavelengths that could shed light on what causes the spot's iconic color.

The color has often been attributed to the sun's ultraviolet radiation that interacts with nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorous chemicals that are lifted from the deeper atmosphere of Jupiter by powerful atmospheric currents in the storm.

Fletcher explained that using MIRI to observe in the 5 to 7 micrometer range could be particularly revealing for the large red spot, as observations in such wavelengths are not possible from 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 chemical compounds that are unique to the (Big Red Spot) … that could be responsible for the red chromophores," Fletcher noted.

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.

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 Fletcher explained that 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 Big Red Spot, and it will not die soon (though it has narrowed, as shown by images from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and other observatories.) ), scientists must therefore observe smaller and cooler storms. on the planet to see how they start and evolve, something that Webb can do in the future, Fletcher said.

–IANS

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